UDHAGAMANDALAM: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has arrested a panchayat secretary in the Nilgiris district on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a contractor for processing a bill for water tank construction work.Ithalar panchayat secretary A Karthick, 35, demanded a bribe from contractor Raja of Emerald, who had completed construction of a water tank in Osatty village. According to DVAC, Raja had submitted a bill for Rs 6.90 lakh. Karthick demanded 5% of the bill amount — around Rs 35,000 — as a bribe. He later reduced the demand to Rs 20,000.Unwilling to pay the bribe, Raja approached the Nilgiris DVAC unit and lodged a complaint. Officials registered a case and organised a trap on Monday.Police gave chemical-laced currency notes to Raja to trap the panchayat secretary. Raja met Karthick at his office and handed over the notes to him. DVAC sleuths, who were hiding, caught Karthik red-handed. He was remanded in judicial custody.
