Unaccounted cash seizure: DVAC probe against PCB official begins

K Prakash is a district environment officer in Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board office located in Ambattur. The case was registered against Prakash and his driver Ayyapan.

The delay in getting concurrence from the competent authority delayed the registration of the case, sources said. Apart fromRs 2,49,500, the team had also seized a 50 gm silver tumbler from the office of the accused.

During the search, the DVAC team recovered Rs 62,500 from the men’s restroom inside the office and the rest of the money was seized from different persons who had come to visit the official.

The visitors were carrying the money to bribe the PCB officials to get concurrence or permission from the competent officials. The silver tumbler was found in a gift box which was in possession of a security guard, DVAC noted. The gift box was handed over to him by the driver of the district environmental engineer. When questioned by the DVAC team, Ayyapan failed to give a satisfactory explanation.