KOCHI: The concurrent auditor of Canara Bank, who was caught by the vigilance while threatening and accepting a bribe from a businessman from Ernakulam, has been remanded. The Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court has remanded K Sudhakaran, a resident of Chinnakada Cantonment North Swamy Oil Mill Road, Kollam, for 14 days.

Sudhakaran had demanded Rs 6 lakh as a bribe from a Panampilly Nagar native who runs educational institutions in various districts. Sudhakaran was taken into custody by Ernakulam Vigilance DySP NR Jayaraj while the Panampilly Nagar native was handing over the Rs 50,000 given by Vigilance to his residence in Kollam on Saturday.

The businessman has a cash deposit and a cash credit loan at the Mavelikkara branch of Canara Bank, where Sudhakaran works. The businessman said that Sudhakaran alleged that the loan was arranged by submitting forged documents and threatened to convert the loan into a non-performing asset if a bribe of Rs 6 lakh was not paid. Although the businessman initially paid Rs 10,000 through Google Pay, Sudhakaran demanded that the remaining amount be received on Saturday. The business approached Vigilance after this.

Sudhakaran, a chartered accountant, is a concurrent auditor on the panel prepared by the RBI. Vigilance has announced that it will examine his assets, including details. Vigilance will also check whether he has taken money by threatening other customers. Vigilance will approach the court tomorrow to take him into custody.