A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) in Arakkonam, Ranipet district, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of accepting a bribe to issue a patta.
The accused, identified as Thanigachalam (59), was serving as the VAO of Vadamambakkam village. Vinoth (45), a resident of the same village, had approached him seeking patta for a 1,402 sq ft plot through the online process.
According to the complaint, the VAO allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 as illegal gratification, which was later negotiated down to Rs 15,000.
Unwilling to pay, Vinoth lodged a complaint with the Ranipet Vigilance and Anti-Corruption police. Acting on their instructions, he handed over chemically treated currency to the VAO, following which officials caught Thanigachalam red-handed and arrested him.
