Coimbatore Corporation Bill Collector Arrested in Bribery Sting Operation
In a significant anti-corruption operation, a bill collector attached to the Coimbatore City Corporation's north zone office was arrested on Thursday for accepting a bribe of Rs25,000 from a local resident. The arrest was made by officials from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) following a meticulously planned trap.
Details of the Bribery Case
According to DVAC authorities, the accused has been identified as S Dharmaraj, aged 52. The complaint was lodged by V Arun Prasad, a 38-year-old resident of Gandhi Nagar who works for a private firm. Prasad had recently constructed both a residential house and a commercial complex in his locality.
The sequence of events unfolded as follows:
- In February, Prasad approached Dharmaraj at the north zone corporation office to initiate the property tax assessment process for his newly constructed buildings.
- Corporation officials completed the tax assessment and prepared two separate tax books—one for the residence and another for the commercial property.
- Despite the completion of official procedures, Dharmaraj refused to hand over the tax books to Prasad and instead demanded a bribe of Rs25,000.
How the Trap Was Laid
Unwilling to comply with the illegal demand, Prasad—who had already paid approximately Rs1.5 lakh in property tax for the new buildings—approached the DVAC and filed a formal complaint on Wednesday. DVAC officials immediately sprang into action, devising a strategic plan to catch the bill collector red-handed.
The operation involved the following steps:
- DVAC provided Prasad with chemical-coated currency notes that could be easily identified.
- On Thursday, Prasad met Dharmaraj at the north zone office and handed over the marked notes as demanded.
- A DVAC team, led by ADSP Rajesh along with inspectors Sheela and Ezhilarasi, promptly apprehended Dharmaraj while he was accepting the bribe.
Post-Arrest Investigations
Following the arrest, DVAC officials conducted thorough searches at Dharmaraj's office desk and his residence to gather additional evidence. The accused has been taken into custody, and a comprehensive investigation is currently underway to determine whether other officials were involved in the bribery demand.
This case highlights the ongoing efforts by anti-corruption agencies to combat graft within municipal administration systems. The DVAC's swift action demonstrates their commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in public service delivery.
