KARAIKUDI: A bill collector of the Karaikudi Corporation was caught red-handed while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 4,000 for assessing property tax, according to officials.
The accused, Saravanan (46), works as a bill collector and handles tax collection in Ward Nos. 4 and 5 and areas including Iluppakudi. A woman who built a new house in Peyanpatti approached him to get the property tax assessment completed.
Police said Saravanan demanded Rs 10,000 as illegal gratification. The complainant reportedly paid Rs 6,000 through an online transfer, and he insisted that the remaining Rs 4,000 must be paid to proceed with the assessment.
Following her complaint, a vigilance and anti-corruption team led by inspectors Kannan and Jesudas arranged a trap. The woman handed over chemically treated currency notes, and Saravanan was arrested as he received the money.
Officials said he was questioned for more than four hours and his bank accounts and online transactions were examined. The incident has drawn attention as vigilance officials had recently conducted an inspection at the corporation engineer’s office.
