Rs 1.10 lakh unaccounted money seized from Vellore corporation commissioner’s office

Shanmughasundaram J| TNN | Updated: Oct 30, 2017, 19:32 IST



CHENNAI: Two months after trapping then commissioner of the Vellore Corporation T Kumar for taking a bribe from a contractor, sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Wing (DVAC) and officials of the VelloreDistrict Inspection Cell (DIC) conducted a surprise check and confiscated Rs 1.10 lakh unaccounted money from the commissioner's office. The officials have also confiscated Rs 29,500 from two other corporation employees during the check.

The joint raid was conducted following specific information that commissioner P Kubendran had received a bribe to award tender for development project. The bribe amount was in the possession of the commissioner. The joint raid commenced at 10am.

The team was led by district inspection cell officer C Sumathi and deputy DIC officer A Jothi and ADSP of DVAC M Balasubramanian.

The DVAC sleuths found Rs 1.10 lakh unaccounted money in the drawer in the antechamber of the commissioner's office.

The officials also seized Rs 20,000 unaccounted money from junior assistant (E 1 Section) Malika and Rs 9,500 unaccounted money from the possession of Bangaramma, who has been working on consolidate pay. She retired from the corporation office six years ago.

"Commissioner denied the graft charges and said he was not aware of the money in his drawer in the office," said a DVAC officer.

Following the seizure of the accounted cash, the sleuths took him to his house and conducted a search. However, nothing found in his house.

A senior police officer in the wing said that DIC had received a specific complaint against the commissioner. According to the complaint, the commissioner has been demanding 2% commission for awarding tender for the all kinds of works in the corporation limit. "After confirming the commissioner received the bribe amount, we conducted the check," said the official.

The DVAC would file a case against Kubendran and two others under the provision of the Prevention of Corruption Act after receiving a complaint from DIC.

It may be recalled that the DVAC police laid a trap and arrested former commissioner Kumar for demanding and accepting bribe to the tune of Rs 20,000 from a contractor. They had also seized Rs 10.44 lakh unaccounted money, a cash counting machine and 26 sovereign gold jewels worth around Rs 7 lakh from his house.