Land surveyor nabbed red-handed taking bribe

According to the police, T Indrani (46) from Vazhapadi in Salem district had approached Vazhapadi Town surveyor C Soundararajan (30) and sought patta for her lands.  

“After the demise of her husband a few years ago, Indrani had sought to get the patta in her name for two pieces of land at Vazhapadi area. However, Soundararajan demanded Rs 20,000 as bribe to survey and issue patta for her land. He also demanded Rs 10,000 as an advance,” sources in the police said. 

Not willing to bribe the surveyor, Indrani tipped off the DVAC sleuths, who set up a trap and asked her to hand over the money to Soundararajan behind a commercial complex located right opposite the Vazhapadi bus terminus. 

Thereafter, while Soundararajan was accepting the money from Indrani, he was caught red-handed by the sleuths and was produced in court. He was remanded in judicial custody and lodged at Salem Central Prison.

Further, police said, “There were about 250 persons who had applied online and were to be issued a ‘patta’. He confessed to having taken Rs 10,000 from each one of them.”