Chartered Accountant arrested on corruption charges in Kerala
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Kochi: A Sudhakaran, a chartered accountant serving as a concurrent auditor at Canara Bank's Mavelikara branch, was arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) for accepting a bribe.
He was caught red-handed on Saturday at his residence in Chinnakada, Kollam, while receiving Rs 50,000 from a complainant, VACB officials confirmed on Sunday.
VACB officials revealed that Sudhakaran had demanded a total of Rs 6 lakh from a Kochi-based businessman who operates an educational consultancy firm across Kerala.
The complainant, who holds loan accounts with the bank, was allegedly informed by Sudhakaran that certain submitted documents were "inappropriate" and could result in complications, including the classification of his accounts as non-performing assets (NPA). Sudhakaran reportedly sought the bribe in exchange for withholding an adverse audit report.
Initially, he demanded an advance payment of Rs 10,000, which the complainant transferred via Google Pay.
When Sudhakaran demanded the remaining amount in person, the complainant reported the matter to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).
A trap was set, leading to Sudhakaran's arrest while accepting Rs 50,000 at his residence, according to VACB officials.
They further disclosed that Sudhakaran is a listed concurrent auditor with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and receives remuneration from Canara Bank.
VACB SP Sasidharan S stated that initial findings indicate this may not be the first instance of bribery involving Sudhakaran, and a thorough investigation is underway.
(inputs from PTI)