Erode official arrested for bribery over building permit

An assistant at the Gobichettipalayam municipal office in Erode district was arrested on Tuesday for taking a bribe. The arrest happened after investigators from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) received a complaint. The assistant, V Subramaniam, works in the town planning section. A civil engineer named S Varun asked Subramaniam for a permit to build a new structure. Subramaniam initially asked for a bribe of 40,000. After some negotiation, he lowered the amount to 30,000. Varun did not want to pay the bribe, so he reported the situation to the DVAC. On Tuesday, following DVAC's guidance, Varun went to the municipal office and gave Subramaniam chemical-coated currency. DVAC officials, led by ADSP Rajan, arrested Subramaniam right away and took the 30,000. Subramaniam has been placed in judicial custody and is being held at the Gobichettipalayam prison.