SRO in Karaikal booked for receiving Rs 2 lakh bribe

CHENNAI: Sleuths from the anti-corruption branch of the CBI, Chennai, booked a sub-registrar of Niravi town in Karaikal for allegedly demanding and receiving a bribe of Rs 2 lakh to register an agricultural land worth Rs 24 lakh.

The accused SRO Chandra Mohan received Rs 50,000 in cash from M Rajendiran of Karaikal, and a cheque for Rs 1.5 lakh, on condition that the registered sale deed will be handed over to him upon payment of Rs 1.5 lakh in cash.

The CBI has also booked a document writer Senthilnathan, who acted as a broker in collecting the bribe.

A CBI FIR said that Chandra Mohan initially demanded Rs 3 lakh and reduced the bribe demand to Rs 2 lakh.

The cash and cheque handed over by the victim to the sub-registrar were given to the document writer. The sub-registrar also registered the sale deed and gave them to the document writer, instructing him to release the documents and the cheque upon receiving Rs 1.5 lakh in cash.

After an oral complaint via phone, CBI officers from Chennai visited the town and conducted an inquiry after receiving the complaint in writing and booked both the sub-registrar and the document writer after preliminary inquiry.