A village officer in Kozhikode, Kerala, was arrested on Monday, December 30, 2024, for allegedly accepting a bribe. M.P. Anil Kumar, who has served as the village officer at Pantheerankavu for the past year, was caught accepting Rs50,000 as the first installment of a Rs2 lakh bribe. The bribe was demanded from a landowner seeking the conversion of his land from the wetland category to normal land for a petrol pump construction.
The landowner, who had been approached by Kumar to hand over the bribe, informed the Vigilance authorities about the demand. In a sting operation, Anil Kumar was apprehended at a lodge near the government medical college campus while receiving the money.
The arrest highlights the ongoing efforts to combat corruption within public services in Kerala. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.