Retired Deputy Collector Held in Kochi Land Bribery Case
Kerala VACB arrests retired Deputy Collector Kripa N.K. in ₹10 lakh bribery case involving a tahsildar and two agents.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in Kerala arrested a retired Deputy Collector on Friday for her alleged involvement in a bribery case that has already led to the arrest of three others, including a tahsildar.
Kripa N.K., 59, a resident of Kadavanthra in Kochi, was taken into custody for allegedly acting as a middleman in the case. The arrest came during the ongoing investigation into the matter, which came to light on August 13.
According to the VACB, the case involves Kanayannur tahsildar (land records) Jose Antony Hartis and two alleged agents, Rajesh N.S. (49) of Kadavanthra and Jose Shibyin (44) of Vyttila. The three were previously arrested for allegedly demanding ₹10 lakh from a man from Kaloor.
The money was reportedly sought to settle a complaint against the man's property and to facilitate its conversion from 'nilam' (paddy land) in official revenue records. During the operation, the alleged agents were caught while accepting ₹2 lakh in cash and ₹8 lakh through a cheque. The tahsildar was subsequently arrested as part of the same operation.