The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) officials caught a Special Deputy Collector (Stamps), who received a bribe of ₹50,000 from M. Ranjithkumar of Irumbuli village, Tiruvannamalai, for stamp duty evaluation of land registration.
Sources said S. Dhinakaran was caught red-handed near Sathuvachari, Vellore on Friday night with a large amount of cash including that received from Ranjithkumar .
Based on this incidence, the DVAC conducted a raid on his house in Thangal near Thiruvalam in Katpadi area, where ₹76.64 lakh, alleged bribe money accumulated by Dhinakaran over the years, was recovered.
Ranjithkumar had registered his ancestral land of 1.47 acre in August last year. The property was found to be undervalued by the Registrar and the case was referred to Deputy Collector (Stamps) for stamp duty evaluation. Dhinakaran asked Ranjithkumar, through his associate, to pay him ₹50,000 for the evaluation. DVAC sources said, Dhinakaran demanded that the amount be paid immediately, as he was transferred a couple of days ago.
Ranjithkumar agreed to pay the bribe, asking Dhinakaran to wait near an ATM near Vellore Collectorate on Friday night. Meanwhile, he informed the DVAC about the demand. Officials laid a trap and gave Ranjithkumar chemical-coated currency notes and waited near the spot for Dhinakaran, who was returning from Gudiyatham.
Dhinakaran came in a private vehicle driven by his confidant, Rameshkumar, picked up Ranjithkumar and received the money. Ranjithkumar was dropped off near Vellore bus stand. The DVAC team, which included inspectors S. Vijay, M. Rajinikanth, S. Mythili and S. Vijayalakshmi, chased the car, driving towards Sathuvachari, for about two kilometres before cornering it. The officials recovered ₹2.40 lakh unaccounted cash from the car.
Dhinakaran was produced before a court in Vellore on Saturday, which remanded him to judicial custody, DVAC sources said.
