Never-ending corruption; Bribery through ATM cash machine; Deputy Tahsildar caught red-handed  

KOTTAYAM/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the government claims to have a corruption-free administration, there is no cure for bribery. The latest incident was when a deputy tahsildar, who did not accept the bribe money directly, was arrested from the ATM centre yesterday. Vaikom Deputy Tahsildar TK Subhash Kumar (54) has been arrested.

The complainant, who is an NRI, had applied to the Mulakulam village office for the land mutation of 24 cents of property in his wife's name. However, the land mutation of only 11 cents was completed. When the NRI applied to the Vaikom taluk office to complete the Land Mutation, Subhash Kumar demanded Rs 60,000. The expatriate lodged a complaint with the vigilance.

When the expatriate came with the first installment of Rs 25,000 as per the vigilance directive, he was asked to google pay the money. Realizing that the plan would fail, the expat said he did not know how to use GooglePay. The deputy tehsildar asked him to deposit it in the CDM at the ATM centre instead. When he said he didn't know that either, the deputy tehsildar offered to help. As the duo was about to deposit the money in the CDM near the office, Subhash Kumar was nabbed by DySP VR Ravikumar. He will be produced in court today.

7 years; 281 people subjected to action

There is no dearth of greed in the revenue department. Last year, 76 cases were registered. Bribes are being demanded for services such as land mutation, land reclassification, site inspection for quarries and various certificates.

According to a reply given by Minister K Rajan in the assembly, 281 officers have been subjected to departmental action in the last seven years. There are vigilance cases against 124 people.

• Chargesheet filed against 155 people.
• 72 people convicted.

Organized demand for bribes

June 2022

Palakkad Kadampazhipuram village field assistant, Ambalappara village field assistant, casual sweeper in Kadampazhipuram village office and retired village field assistant were arrested by the vigilance while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.

May 2023

Vigilance seized Rs 1.05 crore from under a mattress at the residence of a field assistant from Palakkad's Palakkayam village office

May 2024

A surveyor in the office of the Piravom Resurvey Superintendent in Ernakulam has been suspended for taking bribe by misleading the land owners during the digital resurvey work. Temporary surveyor was dismissed

May 2024

Kottarakkara Tahsildar, Deputy Tahsildar and Driver T Manoj were arrested by the vigilance for demanding a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to provide assistance in purchasing the quarry caught in a case.