Municipal commissioner caught taking bribe moved to new post in Tirunelveli

.

A Municipal Commissioner from Tamil Nadu, Jahangir Basha, who was arrested earlier this month by the Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 11.7 lakh, has been transferred to a new position as Assistant Commissioner of Tirunelveli district. This move comes despite the ongoing investigation into the corruption charges.

Basha was caught red-handed on November 10, when a DVAC team, acting on a tip-off, followed him and seized Rs 11.7 lakh in unaccounted money. An FIR was filed against him under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended by the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018. The operation, which began on November 9, culminated the following day with the arrest of Basha, who confessed to taking the bribe in exchange for providing permission to complete a work project in Ooty.

According to the 14-page FIR, which detailed the events surrounding the incident, the bribe was obtained by Basha to clear necessary approvals for the construction work in the hill station. Evidence, including confessions from Basha and a photograph of the bribe money spread across a table, further implicated him in the corrupt act.

Despite these serious charges, the Tamil Nadu government issued an order on November 26, transferring Basha to the position of Assistant Commissioner in the Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation. The decision has raised questions, with critics pointing to the transfer as a way of sidelining Basha while the investigation continues.