Developmental activities on OMR aid illegal money flow

The sub-registrar in Thiruporur, a neighbourhood on Old Mahabalipuram Road which had been witnessing high-octane real estate activities recently, had employed four persons privately to assist him in various office works. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths had found Rs 3.92 lakh unaccounted cash at the K Sampath’s office during a raid two weeks ago. The cash was just one day’s bribe collection at the office. 

It may be recalled that the vigilance team had found that a former panchayat president of Talambur, which comes under the Thiruporur union panchayat, had allegedly amassed disproportionate wealth to the tune of Rs 5.2 crore during his term from the year 2012 to 2016. The development activities in the areas around OMR has been a money spinner for everyone from sub-registrar to panchayat president. 

The DVAC team and officials of district inspection cell from the office of Kancheepuram collectorate held a surprise check at the office of sub-registrar, Thiruporur located on South Mada Street on July 5 and seized that day’s illegal collection of cash. 

According to the DVAC records, the team found four persons -- two men and two women — privately hired by the sub-registrar for a daily wage. 

While one of them was paid Rs 200, another was paid Rs 300 for documentation works. Two others, who work for an IT company, were employed as data entry operator and camera operator. They were identified as Shankar, KT Aliema, R Usha and P Karthikeyan.

Sources said that the accountable money at the office was only Rs 18,656 and Rs 3.92 lakh had no documents to prove its source. It was one of the highest seizures from a government office during DVAC raids in the recent history.