KSEB assistant engineer arrested in Kochi bribery trap by vigilance

Kochi: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has arrested an assistant engineer of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) for allegedly accepting a bribe to facilitate a permanent electricity connection, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Pradeep N of Palarivattom, was serving at the Thevara Electrical Section office in Ernakulam. He was caught red-handed by the VACB’s Ernakulam unit on Wednesday, an official said.

According to officials, the complainant, an assistant manager at a private construction firm, had sought to convert a temporary electricity connection for a newly constructed apartment near Panampilly Nagar into a permanent one. When the complainant and the building owner approached the Thevara office, they were directed to meet the assistant engineer.

Pradeep allegedly demanded Rs 1.5 lakh as a bribe to expedite the approval and avoid procedural delays. Later, he contacted the complainant and asked for Rs 90,000 to be handed over on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The complainant reported the matter to the Vigilance Deputy Superintendent of Police, following which a trap was laid. VACB officers apprehended Pradeep at the Thevara junction bus stop while accepting the money from the complainant in the evening.

The accused will be produced before the Vigilance Court in Kottayam on Thursday, officials added.

With inputs from PTI