VAO arrested for bribery in Vellore land document case

A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) was arrested on Tuesday for taking a bribe in Vellore district. The officer, 38-year-old V. Gopinath, demanded money to change the name on a land document. The complainant, S. Nizamuddin, is a 40-year-old autorickshaw driver. He lives in the Railway Station area of Gudiyatham municipality and has ancestral land that was originally in his mother's name. Recently, the land was transferred to him, but the official records still showed his mother's name. This situation prevented him from getting a housing loan to build a house. Nizamuddin applied for a name change of the land document a few months ago. When he visited the VAO office, Gopinath initially asked for Rs 15,000. However, after Nizamuddin expressed his financial difficulties, the officer lowered the bribe to Rs 10,000. Unwilling to pay, Nizamuddin reported the situation to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). A team from the DVAC then set a trap and caught Gopinath accepting the bribe. He has since been arrested and is currently in Central Prison in Vellore. An investigation is ongoing.