Coimbatore Corporation staff held for Rs 25k bribe

A tax collector of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Department police for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 25,000 to issue a tax book.
The accused, Dharmaraj, was working as a tax collector at the Coimbatore North Zone office. Arun Prasad of Gandhi Nagar, who works in a private firm, had recently constructed a house and a small commercial complex in the area and approached the corporation office to assess and pay property tax.
After paying the required tax, separate tax books were prepared for the house and the commercial complex. When Arun Prasad approached Dharmaraj to collect the documents, the official allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 25,000 to hand them over.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, Arun Prasad lodged a complaint with the Coimbatore District Anti-Corruption Department. Acting on the complaint, a team led by Additional Superintendent of Police Rajesh planned a trap.
Police handed over chemically treated currency notes worth Rs. 25,000 to Arun Prasad and instructed him to give the money to Dharmaraj.
When the complainant handed over the cash at the North Zone office, the waiting officials, including Inspector Sheela, caught Dharmaraj red-handed.
Subsequently, searches were conducted at the office and the residence of the accused, during which certain documents were seized. Further investigation is under way.