Overseer caught red-handed by Vigilance while accepting bribe for building permit

PALAKKAD: A panchayat overseer was caught by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau for accepting a bribe from a property owner in exchange for a building permit. C.S. Dhanesh (35), a Grade 3 overseer of the Puthussery Panchayat and a native of Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, was arrested.

The complaint was filed by Gandhiraj, a native of Chadayankalai. The officer had delayed the permit procedures after demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000. According to Vigilance officials, Dhanesh had taken bribes from several individuals in the past. The arrest was made under the leadership of DySP Shamsudeen.

Gandhiraj had applied for a building permit with the Puthussery Panchayat, submitting plans and other documents for the construction of a new 700 sq ft building in Chadayankalai. After a site inspection on the 15th, Dhanesh demanded Rs 20,000 to submit the inspection report. He asked for Rs 10,000 to be paid immediately and said the remaining amount could be given once the building permit was issued.

The overseer repeatedly called the complainant demanding the money. Gandhiraj then informed the Palakkad Vigilance Deputy Superintendent of Police. Yesterday at 2:40 PM, the Vigilance team caught Dhanesh red-handed while accepting the bribe at a shopping complex in Kanjikode. He will be produced before the Vigilance Court in Thrissur.