A Highways Department official was arrested in Sivaganga on Sunday after he was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh, police said.
The complainant, Kandasamy, a contractor from Periyakiluvachi village, said he was due Rs 19 lakh as pending payment for completed Highways contract works. He approached assistant divisional engineer Syed Ibrahim seeking release of the amount.
According to the complaint, the official initially demanded Rs 1.20 lakh as illegal gratification to clear the bill. After further talks, the demand was allegedly reduced to Rs 1 lakh.
Kandasamy then approached the Sivaganga Vigilance and Anti-Corruption police. Acting on their instructions, he handed over chemically treated currency to the official, following which a team led by DSP John Britto arrested him and seized the cash for further inquiry.
