Kerala Vigilance arrests Assistant Labour Officer in Kottayam for accepting bribe

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has arrested the Assistant Labour Officer at Vaikom, Kottayam, on charges of accepting a bribe from an IT entrepreneur in Thalayolaparambu.

The accused, T.G. Bineesh Kumar, a native of Thodupuzha, was caught red-handed for accepting ₹5,000 from the complainant. The arrest, based on a complaint lodged by the entrepreneur, was part of ‘Project Zero’, a Statewide initiative launched by the Vigilance department to curb corruption in government offices.

According to VACB sleuths, Bineesh Kumar had earlier conducted an inspection at the firm run by the complainant and subsequently served a notice citing several lapses. The inspection followed a complaint lodged by three former employees of the firm, alleging that the company had denied them experience certificates.

“The accused official used to contact the complainant over the phone and through messaging services and demand money to settle the case. The other day, he contacted the complainant over the phone and asked him to send ₹2,000 through UPI to his wife’s number. After the complainant made the payment and shared a screenshot of the transaction, the accused once again contacted him and demanded another ₹3,000. Following this, the complainant approached the VACB,” an official said.

Based on the complaint, the VACB laid a trap and caught Bineesh Kumar immediately after he received the bribe through a UPI payment made to his wife’s phone number.

The accused was produced before the Vigilance Court in Kottayam and remanded in judicial custody.

According to VACB officials, Bineesh Kumar had accepted bribes through UPI payments on previous occasions too. Further investigation is under way.