Tirunallar tahsildar held on graft charge

KARAIKAL: A team of officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the Tirunallar tahsildar in Karaikaldistrict on charges of demanding and accepting bribe.  Sources said Sankar had demanded Rs. 10,000 as bribe from a farmer for granting ‘No Objection Certificate’ for mining sand from a pond in the Tirunallar area.On a complaint from the farmer, the CBI, on Wednesday night, arrested  Sankar, office assistant Murali and driver Kannan.The bribe money had apparently been shared by the trio as all of them possessed the chemical-laden currency notes supplied by the CBI sleuths.The trio was produced before the Karaikal Magistrate on Thursday. Magistrate Margaret Rosalin remanded them to custody. Meanwhile, the CBI sleuths carried out search operations at the residences of the trio. In addition, another team raided the residence of Sankar at Puducherry.