Eramma is a permanent member of staff at the civic body and was entitled to receive arrears of salary along with other outstanding dues.
Published Dec 07, 2025 | 3:48 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 07, 2025 | 3:48 PM
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Synopsis: A Walajah Municipality cashier, K. Devaraj, 52, was arrested by DVAC for demanding ₹5,000 bribe from sanitary worker Eramma, 57, to release her salary arrears. After she refused and her son complained, officers laid a trap and caught Devaraj red-handed. A case has been registered.
A 52-year-old cashier employed by Walajah Municipality in Ranipet district was arrested on Saturday by officers from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for demanding and accepting a ₹5,000 bribe from a sanitary worker of the civic body in order to release her salary arrears.
According to DVAC sources, the complainant, S. Gopalakrishnan, 32, son of S. Eramma, 57, who is employed as a sanitary worker with the municipality, has been living with his mother in Walajah town for many years.
According to The Hindu, Eramma is a permanent member of staff at the civic body and was entitled to receive arrears of salary along with other outstanding dues. The municipality had approved the payments after passing the necessary resolutions at its monthly council meetings.
Upon learning that the municipality had cleared her dues, Eramma repeatedly approached K. Devaraj, 52, the cashier and officer in charge of payments at Walajah Municipality, requesting the release of her arrears.
A few days earlier, Devaraj informed her that she would need to pay at least ₹15,000 before her arrears and other dues could be released. He subsequently lowered the demand to ₹5,000, still claiming a substantial share of Eramma’s modest earnings.
Reluctant to pay the bribe, Eramma informed her son, who promptly filed a complaint with the DVAC.
A seven-member team, headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police S Ganesh of DVAC (Ranipet), set a trap at the municipal office, where the cashier was caught red-handed accepting the money. A case has been registered against him, and investigations are ongoing.
