Corruption Crackdown: Village Officials Jailed for Bribery

A Vigilance Court in Thalassery sentenced two former village officials to five years of rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe. KV Shaju and CV Pradeep were found guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act after being caught in a bribery case involving land tax allocation.

The Thalassery Vigilance Court has sentenced two former village officials to five years of rigorous imprisonment for accepting bribes. KV Shaju, a former Kannur-II Village Officer, and CV Pradeep, a former Village Assistant, faced charges after a Pallikkunnu resident's complaint triggered an investigation.

Judge K Ramakrishnan ruled on Wednesday that both Shaju, now a Deputy Tahsildar, and Pradeep were guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Each was fined Rs 90,000, with sentences running concurrently. The case involved a bribe sought for processing a land tax application.

The Kannur Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed the bribe when Shaju accepted Rs 9,000 for land measurement, attempting to collect another Rs 1,000. The Bureau's investigation implicated Pradeep, leading to their conviction. Public Prosecutors Usha Kumari and Jithin P represented the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)