KOCHI: High Court has upheld the Vigilance Court's order finding former Wayanad Thariyode village officer PC Rajendran guilty in the case of accepting bribes to prevent himself from informing his superiors about the cutting of trees on Pattayam land. The two-year sentence awarded by the trial court was reduced to one year considering the fact that the 73-year-old accused is disabled. Rajendran's appeal against the judgment of the Kozhikode Vigilance Court was considered by the bench of Justice Dr. Kauser Edappagath.

In July 2000, the accused demanded a bribe from Jose, a native of Thariyode. Jose approached the village officer to get an income certificate for a housing loan. While considering the application, the village officer stated that he had received a complaint that Jose had cut trees from Pattayam land and that he wanted Rs 4000 to not report this to the Collectorate. He took 500 rupees at first. The complainant approached the vigilance when he demanded money again. Jose handed over the notes, which had been smeared with phenolphthalein by the vigilance team, to the village officer, after which the officer was arrested.

Kozhikode Vigilance Court sentenced him to two years in prison and a fine of Rs 10,000 for bribery and official misconduct. Rajendran filed an appeal against this. Rajendran's argument was that the reason for the bribery case was that he had given a report to the tehsildar about the tree-cutting incident. However, High Court rejected the appeal after the Tehsildar testified that no such report was given to him.