A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) in Dindigul district has been arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) police for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe to issue a no-objection certificate.
According to officials, the complainant, farmer Govindaraj from Vadamadurai, approached VAO Pandiyarajan seeking an “unrestricted/no-objection” certificate to be submitted to the electricity board.
The VAO allegedly demanded Rs 20,000. Unwilling to pay, the farmer lodged a complaint with the DVAC.
Following DVAC instructions, the farmer handed over chemically treated currency amounting to Rs 5,000 to the VAO. DVAC personnel, who were waiting nearby, caught Pandiyarajan red-handed.
A retired former village assistant, Ramalingam, who allegedly helped in the transaction, was also arrested. Further inquiry is under way.
