Electricity Bribery: Former Kerala Official Gets Jail Term

A former overseer of the Kerala State Electricity Board has been sentenced to three years in prison for accepting a bribe. Kozhikode Vigilance Court handed down the sentence to Michael Pillai, who was apprehended while taking the bribe from a complainant to manipulate electricity tariffs.

In a significant ruling, the Kozhikode Vigilance Court on Saturday sentenced a former Kerala State Electricity Board overseer to three years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with a bribery case.

Presiding Judge Shibu Thomas found Michael Pillai, a native of Neyyattinkara and former overseer at KSEB's Kuttippuram office, guilty of accepting a bribe in 2020.

Investigations revealed that Pillai demanded a bribe of Rs 700 to avoid a higher electricity tariff. He was caught accepting the bribe by the Malappuram Vigilance Unit, marking a key victory against corruption.