Range officer arrested for accepting bribe of Rs 1 lakh to cover up case

THODUPUZHA: Vigilance officials arrested Thodupuzha Forest Range Officer Libin Johny at his quarters while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh to cover up a case pertaining to finding a deer horn from the house of a person.

A piece of deer horn was found in the complainant's house during the raid conducted by the Thodupuzha police as part of 'Operation Kubera'. After this was handed over to the Forest Department, a case was registered against the complainant at the Thodupuzha Forest Range Office. The range officer demanded Rs 1 lakh and liquor as bribe to mitigate the case and to avoid arrest. When the liquor was brought to the range officer's quarters in Muttam, he demanded an immediate payment of Rs 1 lakh. When asked if the amount could be reduced, the range officer insisted on Rs 1 lakh. The complainant then approached the vigilance.

The accused was nabbed by a team led by Idukki Unit DySP Shaju Jose on the instructions of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Kottayam Eastern Range SP VG Vinod Kumar. The range officer will be produced in court on Thursday.