Land surveyor, aide sentenced to 2-year RI for taking bribe

S Jerald Franklin (36) of Pudukkudi village near Sengipatti in Thanjavur applied for sub-division of a piece of land which was registered in his mother Selin’s name. His application was pending from February 2014 since the Sengipatti firkha surveyor R Balasubramanian (36) had not sent the report to the Tahsildar’s office.

On July 21, 2014, Franklin approached Balasubramanian and urged him to send the report but the latter allegedly asked for Rs 1,000 as bribe.

Jerald, who was unwilling to pay the bribe, filed a complaint with DVAC in Thanjavur.

Based on the complaint, a team of DVAC officials lay in wait at the Budalur Tahsildar office on the morning of July 22, 2014.

When Jerald gave the Rs 1,000 bribe to surveyor Balasubramanian, he in turn asked him to hand over the money to his aide R Karnan (51) of Pudukkudi.

Following this, the DVAC personnel nabbed the duo red-handed.

On Friday, the Kumbakonam Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, which heard the case, sentenced both to two years rigorous imprisonment each under the Prevention of Corruption Act.