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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Man loses over Rs 50 lakh in online trading scam
Kochi: A Muvattupuzha resident lost over Rs 50 lakh in an online scam. According to the police, the victim came across an advertisement about online trading on social media and clicked on a link attached with it. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was then added to a WhatsApp group. The accused then contacted him and convinced him to invest in the stock market with promises of high returns. He subsequently deposited Rs 52.85 lakh into various accounts. However, the accused then ended all contact with him. The victim approached police soon after. Two held for taking bribe: Vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) on Monday arrested a village field assistant and a retired village assistant for taking a bribe for allotting a title deed (patta). Police identified the arrested persons as Thambi, retired village assistant of Chowara, and Navas, a village field assistant. According to VACB, the complainant, a Kakkanad native, submitted an application before the Chowara village office to obtain a title deed for his 1.24-acre land. Subsequently, Thambi and Navas inspected his property on April 24. They then demanded Rs 10,000 as a bribe. The complainant then told the officials that he did not have that much money with him and they returned. When the application was not processed, the complainant contacted the officials and they repeated the demand for a bribe. However, Thambi had retired from service by then and the complainant was unaware of this when he called to enquire about the issue. He then approached Ernakulam vigilance DSP with a complaint. Thambi was arrested red-handed when he accepted the money from the complainant near Chowara village office. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Navas, who was in the area, was soon arrested. The accused were presented in court and remanded in judicial custody. Odisha native held with ganja: A migrant worker was caught with 2kg of ganja on Tuesday. Police identified the arrested person as Rajesh Deegal, 23, a native of Ganjam, Odisha. He was captured while attempting to hand over the ganja near the Perumbavoor bus stand after arriving in Aluva by train from Odisha. The ganja, purchased for Rs 3,000 from Odisha, was being sold here for Rs 20,000, police said.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Vigilance arrests Kochi corporation official for accepting bribe
Kochi: Vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) officials on Wednesday arrested a building inspector of Kochi corporation while trying to take bribe from an applicant who sought a building permit. Following corporation authorities' request, VACB has been conducting regular raids to nab corrupt officials. The official from Vyttila zonal office arrived at Ponnurunni by her own vehicle to accept the bribe, vigilance officials said. When she started to accept the bribe of Rs 15,000 vigilance arrested her. There have been widespread allegations that corruption is rampant, with many of the officials in the corporation seeking bribes. Even councillors from the ruling front raised severe criticism against officials who take bribes. "The VACB drive should be continued. We want to eliminate corruption," said mayor M Anilkumar. At the same time, opposition stated that mismanagement and failure on the part of corporation authorities are leading to widespread corruption. "A couple of months ago, even an LDF councillor disclosed in the council meeting about an incident in which an official sought a bribe of Rs 50 lakh in the name of chairpersons to issue building numbers for unauthorized buildings in the corporation limits. Despite mayor's statement that this would be investigated by vigilance, no action was taken. It is only when frustrated citizens at the grassroots level file complaints with vigilance that these corrupt officials are caught. Mayor, who heads the corporation, has become an ineffective leader unable to curb corruption. The situation where anything can be obtained for a price has arisen because governance under Kochi mayor has turned into a corrupt regime," opposition leader Antony Kureethara said. In Dec 2024, corporation suspended a revenue official and a probe was ordered into five different cases of alleged building rule violations and charges of bribery. Speaking at the corporation council meeting then, LDF councillor from Palluruthy VS Viju said a revenue inspector caused a loss to the corporation to the tune of Rs 3.43 crore. According to Viju, the revenue inspector with Vyttila zonal office of the corporation sought Rs 50 lakh from a builder for covering up building rules violations. The building in Vyttila was constructed violating norms several years ago. Corporation later charged around Rs 2.9 crore as building tax, including it under unauthorized construction category. Though the building owner challenged corporation's claim for tax in high court, the court disposed of the petition stating that tax should be paid. The said official tampered with corporation's registers to facilitate the building owner not to pay Rs 3.43 crore, which is the building tax and its interest, Viju disclosed at the council meeting.
