COIMBATORE: Sleuths from Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) laid a trap and arrested two salespersons of a Tasmac outlet at Eachanari in the district while accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000 on Wednesday night.
For the first time, a trap was laid to nab Tasmac workers, who are involved in accepting bribes.
The arrested people have been identified as Lenin, 43, of Podhanur and Saravanan, 50 of Palathurai in Coimbatore.
An official from DVAC said, “The accused approached the manager of the bar attached with the outlet Vinoth and asked him to sell the outlet’s liquor bottle for a higher price at the bar. In turn, they demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 70,000. When Vinoth refused, the accused had threatened to spoil the name of the bar before customers and that he would cancel the license of the bar.”
Subsequently, Vinoth filed a complaint with DVAC, who set a trap to arrest them red-handed.
“The officials gave chemical-coated currency notes of Rs 70,000 to him and asked him to meet the accused at 10pm on Wednesday. When the complainant handed over the amount to the accused, officials arrested the accused immediately. The amount was seized from them,” he said.
While checking the stock register at the outlet, unaccounted money of Rs 8,600 was found and it was seized, the official said and added that the salesmen saved the money by selling liquor bottles for a higher price at the outlet itself.
Even though salesmen received consolidated pay, they come under the purview of government employees.
Hence, section 7(A) of the Prevention of corruption act, 1988 was invoked.
The accused were produced before the judicial magistrate and lodged in Pollachi sub-jail till February 11.