Kozhikode: Akhil Mathew, who is part of the personal staff of Kerala Health Minister Veena George, and Akhil Sajeev, former office secretary at CITU Pathanamthitta have been accused of accepting bribes from a person in the pretext of offering a government job to his daughter-in-law. The duo allegedly received money assuring the job of medical officer in the Homeo department, under the Ayush mission. 

It is known that the duo assured Malappuram native Haridas Master of procuring a job for his daughter-in-law prior to the end of the current government’s tenure. The duo demanded Rs 5 lakhs for the temporary appointment and Rs 10 lakhs for making the job permanent.      

As per the complainant, Haridas handed over a total of Rs 1 lakh to Akhil Mathew in cash near the health department office in Thiruvananthapuram. The mediator Akhil Sajeevan also received Rs 50,000 directly and another Rs 25,000 online, from Haridas. The complainant also said that Akhil Sajeev had approached them voluntarily assuring a job after his daughter-in-law submitted an application for the job at the health department. 

Haridas also accused that no action has been taken so far in the incident, despite giving a complaint to the health minister and the health department. Upon inquiry, the minister’s office denied allegations of Akhil Sajeev accepting bribes and also informed that the complaint had been handed over to the DGP.