Chennai, 11 February (H.S.) : A 50 year old survey inspector attached to the Kancheepuram revenue department was arrested by the District Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) wing for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe.
The accused, identified as Sundara Vadivelu, was caught red handed while receiving money from a farmer in connection with land acquisition for the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport. The inspector was part of a joint verification team responsible for processing land documents and facilitating compensation for the massive project, which spans approximately 4,800 acres across 15 villages.
The incident came to light when Ranjith Kumar, a farmer from Kancheepuram who had voluntarily offered 64 cents of land for the airport project, filed a complaint. According to DVAC officials, the inspector allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh to clear the farmer's file and ensure the release of his compensation.
Following the complaint, a trap was laid by a team led by DVAC DSP Kalaiselvan. The officials instructed the farmer to offer Rs 50,000 as an advance payment using chemical treated currency notes to catch the official in the act.
On Tuesday night, the vigilance team apprehended Sundara Vadivelu at the Chengazhu Neeroda area as he accepted the bribe. He was subsequently taken to the DVAC office for further interrogation and has been remanded in custody.
Authorities stated that a formal case has been registered and further investigations are underway to determine if other farmers involved in the Parandur airport land acquisition process were subjected to similar demands.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary
