Village officer and assistant arrested for accepting bribe in Thrissur

THRISSUR: Two government officers from Ollukara village, Thrissur, were arrested for accepting a bribe of ₹50,000. The arrested individuals are P A Prasad (45), Special Village Officer and Ashish (34), Village Assistant. They were caught red-handed by the vigilance team after attempting to manipulate an official report in exchange for money.

The issue began when the Mannuthi police seized a JCB during an investigation into a land-filling complaint. The complainant, a resident of Ollur, reported that a plot owned by his foreign friend was being illegally filled while leveling the land. The police, in response, detained the JCB and sent a notice to the complainant.

Subsequently, Prasad, the Special Village Officer, visited the disputed land and later summoned the complainant to the village office. According to the complainant, Prasad and Ashish demanded a hefty bribe to submit a favorable report that would help release the seized JCB. Initially, they asked for ₹5.5 lakh, citing that without this, the complainant might have to deposit ₹55 lakh—three times the value of the JCB—in court. After negotiations, the demand was lowered to ₹2 lakh, with an advance payment of ₹50,000.

Acting on the complaint, a vigilance team, led by DYSP P. Shibu of the Thrissur Vigilance Unit and under the direction of Vigilance Central Superintendent of Police S. Sasidharan, set a trap. When the officers received the first installment of ₹50,000 at the Ollukara village office on the 19th, they were immediately arrested. The accused will be produced before the Thrissur Vigilance Court, where further legal action will be initiated.