The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has arrested a forest officer for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹50,000 from a woman for issuing a licence related to timber trade near Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district.
The police said the complainant, Shanthi, 40, a resident of Pullarambakkam near Tiruvallur, has been involved in the business of purchasing and selling red sanders. She approached Saravanan, seeking official approval to carry out the trade. During the interaction, the forest officer Saravanan demanded ₹1 lakh as a bribe to issue the licence. Unwilling to pay, she approached the DVAC officials in Tiruvallur and lodged a complaint.
Acting on the complaint, DVAC officials instructed her to hand over ₹50,000 as part of a trap operation. On Monday, when Shanthi handed over the money at the forest office, a team of DVAC officials caught Saravanan.
