A Legal Metrology department official has been caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from a petrol pump owner.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested B.S. Ajith Kumar, deputy controller in the Legal Metrology department in the district, while accepting ₹8,000 as bribe.
Legal Metrology department officials have to visit petrol pumps every three months, inspect the nozzles, and put a seal on them to ensure that fuel in the right quantity is being dispensed.
Swaroop, owner of Nagaraj and Sons fuel station at Akkulam, had submitted an application in the Legal Metrology office at Pattom for inspection of six nozzles at the pump and putting a seal on them.
Deputy controller Ajith Kumar reached Mr. Swaroop’s pump and while inspecting the nozzles asked for some reward. Mr. Swaroop informed Thiruvananthapuram VACB Deputy Police Superintendent Vinod Kumar R. Following this, the VACB team laid a trap for Ajith Kumar. On Tuesday afternoon, Ajith Kumar, along with other officials, reached Mr. Swaroop’s Akkulam pump. After sealing the six petrol nozzles, Ajith Kumar without the knowledge of the other Legal Metrology officials, sought a bribe of ₹12,000. When Mr. Swaroop replied that he had only ₹8,000 and would pay the rest later, Ajith Kumar took the money as the first instalment. It was at this juncture that the VACB team swooped down on him and arrested him.
Ajith Kumar will be produced in the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance court, a statement from the VACB Director Manoj Abraham said in a statement.
Any information related to corruption can be conveyed on the VACB toll-free number 1064 or 8592900900 or the WhatsApp number 9447789100, the Vigilance Director said.
