Daijiworld Media Network – Kochi

Kochi, Aug 14: A Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) team has arrested a tehsildar and two alleged middlemen while accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a complainant in Kochi, officials said.

The accused have been identified as Kanayannur Land Records Tehsildar Joseph Antony Hurtis, 52, of Moolamkuzhi, and middlemen Rajesh N S, 49, of Kadavanthra and Joseph Shibyin, 44, of Vyttila.

According to the VACB, the complainant, a native of Kaloor, had been paying land tax on 1.4 acres of land in Elamakkara registered in his late father's name as residential property. During the mutation process following his father's death, the Edappally South Village Office informed him that the property was recorded as paddy land in revenue records.

The complainant had brought soil to the property to level the land for constructing a house. Subsequently, Shibyin allegedly filed a complaint at the Edappally South Village Office in June, claiming that the complainant was illegally filling paddy land.

The VACB alleged that Tehsildar Hurtis later contacted the complainant and warned him that resolving the matter would be difficult if the complaint was taken on record.

The complainant reportedly offered to remove the soil and pay any applicable fine or charges. However, the tehsildar allegedly told him that this was unnecessary and asked him to meet Shibyin to settle the matter.

Hurtis allegedly assured the complainant that he would take care of the land conversion process at the village and taluk levels.

When the complainant met Shibyin, the latter allegedly introduced him to Rajesh. The two middlemen then allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh, with Rs 5 lakh purportedly intended for Hurtis and other officials at the taluk and village levels and the remaining Rs 5 lakh for themselves, the VACB said.

The middlemen allegedly assured the complainant that no further action would be taken by officials if the money was paid. They subsequently contacted Hurtis over the phone and allegedly handed the call to the complainant, following which the tehsildar instructed him to pay the demanded amount.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Ernakulam VACB Deputy Superintendent of Police. A trap was subsequently laid by the Vigilance team.

At around 8.30 pm on Thursday, the VACB team allegedly caught Rajesh and Shibyin while accepting the Rs 10 lakh from the complainant. The amount comprised Rs 2 lakh in cash and Rs 8 lakh through a cheque.

The Vigilance team subsequently apprehended Hurtis as well, officials said.

The three accused will be produced before the Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court, officials added.