Rs 2.28 lakh withdrawn in a month; Vigilance raid at Vaikom CI's office reveals bribery through Assam native's bank account

KOTTAYAM: A bank account opened in the name of an Assam native was allegedly used to collect bribes, while another person's mobile number was used for UPI transactions. These details emerged during a Vigilance raid at the office of Vaikom Circle Inspector Shameer Khan.

The investigation also revealed that Rs 2.28 lakh deposited into the account within a month had been withdrawn soon afterwards. The Vigilance team conducted the inspection following information about the CI's alleged links with the soil mafia.

Vigilance officials said they would examine the bank account details and submit a report against Shameer Khan. The account was opened on the fifth of last month at the Canara Bank branch in Vaikom using the Aadhaar and PAN details of an Assam native. It was allegedly set up to collect bribes from tipper lorry owners and members of the soil mafia. The mobile number provided for the account belonged to a person named Arun.

Money started flowing into the account from the seventh of the month. The amounts were subsequently withdrawn from ATMs in Vaikom and Kuravilangad. Those withdrawing the money reportedly wore masks and helmets to avoid being identified by CCTV cameras. The Vigilance team collected CCTV footage showing the withdrawals and conducted an inspection at the bank. A mobile phone containing the SIM card used for the transactions and an ATM card were also seized.

The raid was conducted under the direction of Kottayam Vigilance Superintendent Binu R. A team led by DySP T.R. Pradeep Kumar, along with inspectors Saju T. Das, Anilkumar, Ramesh Kumar and Manu V. Nair, and other Vigilance personnel, carried out the inspection.