Tamil Nadu: In ten years, 889 government officials convicted for bribery

CHENNAI: As many as 889 government officials and employees in Tamil Nadu have been sentenced to imprisonment in bribery cases over the past decade, according to anti-corruption police, accoding to a Daily Thanthi report.

Anti-corruption police conduct surprise raids and covert surveillance at government offices based on complaints and information about bribery.

Last month alone, officials seized bribe money amounting to Rs 2.15 crore.

Collected through GPAY

Of this, Rs 1.87 crore was allegedly received by government officials and employees through Google Pay, highlighting the use of digital payment platforms in bribery transactions.

The anti-corruption police initiate legal action based on complaints and gather documentary evidence and witness statements to establish the offences in court.

Officials said such evidence has helped secure convictions and prison sentences in several cases.

73 Government Officilas convicted this year

So far this year, 73 government officials and employees have been sentenced to imprisonment for accepting bribes. This has taken the total number of convictions recorded over the past 10 years to 889.

According to anti-corruption police officials, the highest number of convictions was recorded during 2024–25, when 126 government officials and employees were sentenced to prison.

The number of convictions fell during the Covid-19 pandemic, with 41 officials and employees sentenced in 2020–21 and 51 in 2021–22.

Officials said surprise checks, surveillance and prompt action based on complaints would continue across government departments to curb corruption and bring those accepting bribes to justice.