PCB engineer arrested while taking bribe, Vigilance sleuths recover around Rs 17 lakh from flat

ALUVA: A Vigilance team found around Rs 17 lakh while inspecting the flat of a Pollution Control Board environment engineer, who was arrested while taking a bribe.

The money was seized during an inspection conducted by the Vigilance at MM Haris' flat in Alangattu till 5 am yesterday.

The money was found as bundles of Rs 50,000 kept in almirah, cupboards, vessels and even cookers. The money was counted using a machine as the Vigilance officers discover Rs 16,89,610 in total. On checking his laptop and pendrive, details of illegal assets were found. It was also found that he has gone abroad 18 times.

The engineer revealed to Vigilance that he has 18.50 lakh in bank deposits and a 2000 square feet house in Thiruvananthapuram and 33 cents plot of land in Pandalam. He was residing alone in Alangad in a flat worth about a crore rupees. He used an official vehicle for his daily commute to and from the office.

Vigilance officers nabbed the engineer while taking a bribe of Rs 25,000 from Pala native Jose Sebastian for renewal of license to a tire retreading establishment.

In another raid by the Vigilance at the residence of a Senior Environment Engineer from Ezhukone currently working in Thiruvananthapuram PCB, crores of illegal assets were found. The official, Jose Mon, earlier worked in the position of Harris as an environment engineer at PCB Kottayam and is the second accused in the complaint filed by Jose Sebastian. He accused Jose Mon of demanding Rs 1 lakh as a bribe. Jose Mon was found to have Rs 1.45 crores in deposits in several banks, a resort in Peermade, shares in a private hospital in Kochi, three cars including a luxury vehicle, seven shops in Ezhukone, and possession of Canadian dollars.