Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Wing police have trapped a Forest Department Range Officer while accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a contractor on Wednesday.
Sources in the DVAC said contractor Suresh Kumar, 45, of Pallavaram in Chennai, had bagged the contract for digging a trench for 8 km along the reserve forest boundary on the foothills of the Western Ghats from Chinnamalai and Sivagiri in the district to prevent wild animal invasion, especially the intrusion of wild elephants into the ranches close to the forest. The contract was awarded on February 7 last.
Even as Mr. Suresh Kumar started digging the elephant-proof trench, Forest Ranger of Sivagiri P. Kathiravan, 51, frequently pestered him to give 30% of the contract value as a bribe for giving his consent for the final settlement of the bill.
When Mr. Suresh Kumar met Kathiravan on Tuesday (August 18), the contractor told him that he had been awarded the tender as he had quoted a very low value, and hence he was not in a position to give 30% of the tender value as bribe.
However, Kathiravan made it clear that he would not allow him to complete the work if he did not heed his demand. The Forest Range Officer also told the contractor to give him 20% as a bribe (₹3.69 lakh) for a previous work executed by Mr. Suresh Kumar, who got ₹18.45 lakh sanctioned for the earlier work.
When Mr. Suresh Kumar told him that he did not have ₹3.69 lakh, Kathiravan instructed him to give ₹1 lakh as the first instalment and give the remaining amount during the final settlement of the bill.
Aggrieved, Mr. Suresh Kumar filed the complaint with DVAC, who trapped Kathiravan while he received ₹1 lakh at his residence from Mr. Suresh Kumar on Wednesday.
Further investigations are on.
Published – August 19, 2026 06:48 pm IST
