CHENGALPATTU: The Chengalpattu Criminal Court sentenced a 62-year-old assistant electrical engineer to three years rigorous imprisonment after the charges of bribery against him were proved during a hearing on Tuesday.

The complainant Arumugam of Keelkattalai owns a timber depot for which he had requested for a new EB connection in 2014 after his existing connection was suspended due to late payment of bills. However, the accused Sukumar, who was an assistant electrical engineer, demanded a bribe amount of Rs 40,000 to provide the new connection.

Following this, Arumugam lodged a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) who set a trap for the accused. When Arumugam handed over chemical-laced notes amounting to Rs 20,000 to the accused, he was caught red-handed by the DVAC officials while accepting the bribe. When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, the court sentenced him to three years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 20,000 fine.