The accused allegedly demanded ₹1.5 lakh, including ₹90,000 as a bribe and to avoid ‘unnecessary hassles’.
Published Nov 13, 2025 | 3:00 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 13, 2025 | 3:00 PM
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Synopsis: Kerala VACB caught hold of KSEB assistant engineer, Predeepan N, accepting ₹90,000 bribe from builder at Thevara to convert temporary power connection to permanent and avoid ‘unnecessary hassles’. The original demand was ₹1.5 lakh. Ernakulam unit of the VACB nabbed him, and the investigation is underway.
The Ernakulam unit of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday arrested a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) assistant engineer for accepting a ₹90,000 bribe from a builder at Thevara.
Predeepan N, a Kaloor resident working at KSEB’s Thevara division, was caught red-handed taking the money from the complainant near a Thevara bus stop around 6 pm, a VACB source said.
The complainant, an assistant manager with a private construction firm, sought to convert a temporary electrical connection to permanent for a four-storey apartment in Panampilly Nagar, reported The New Indian Express.
He was informed that permanent supply would only be granted if he met the assistant engineer.
The accused allegedly demanded ₹1.5 lakh, including ₹90,000 as a bribe and to avoid ‘unnecessary hassles’.
“The complainant alerted the VACB DSP about the demand and a trap was laid,” informed the VACB official.
