Anti-corruption police conducted surprise raids on 40 municipal and corporation offices across Tamil Nadu on Monday, acting on complaints of bribery and irregularities, according to officials.
The state government has reiterated that bribery and corruption will face strict action. DVAC’s intelligence wing has been monitoring government offices and following up on complaints, with multiple cases registered in recent months.
In the latest operation, a case was reported from Manamadurai municipality in Sivaganga district. A contractor from Ramanathapuram, executing road works worth about Rs 4 crore, alleged that municipal engineer Patturajan (52) demanded Rs 4 lakh to release bill payments, seeking Rs 2 lakh as the first instalment.
After the contractor alerted the Sivaganga DVAC unit, a trap was laid using chemically treated currency. The money was handed over at the Manamadurai municipal office on Monday afternoon.
Investigators said the engineer then passed the cash to a sanitation worker, Sethupathi, instructing him to keep it in a vehicle. DVAC DSP Thangaraman and his team arrested both on the spot and initiated further proceedings.
