Aavin GM in dock on bribery charge

TIRUCHY: Regional general manager (GM) of Aavin V Veezhinathan was caught red-handed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) here on Friday receiving a bribe of `20,000 from a retired deputy manager for settling his leave salary account.According to the DVAC, V Rajaram (58), a deputy manager (dairy chemist) at the Aavin, Tiruchy, had voluntarily retired from service on last December 29.  Since, his leave salary account was not settled, he approached Veezhinathan on Thursday and requested that his dues for the surrendered leave be cleared.  But, the General Manager demanded `20,000 as bribe from him. Rajaram informed the DVAC of it the same day.As per instructions from the corruption watchdog, Rajaram went to Veezhinathan’s house at Tennur to hand over the money.  A Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption  team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Rama Ambikapathi, who were waiting nearby, caught Veezhinathan receiving the bribe.  The team later raided the Aavin office.Veezhinathan is the fourth top official of Aavin to be arrested by the DVAC in the last three years. Subbaiyan, who was the general manager of Aavin’s Tiruchy region in 2008, was arrested on similar charges.  Anandan, the special officer in Tiruchy, was caught in 2009 and his counterpart at Perambalur, Karunanidhi, last year. After being produced before chief judicial magistrate Rajasekaran, who remanded him in judicial custody, the GM was lodged at the central prison.Veezhinathan is in charge of Tiruchy region, which consists of Ariyalur, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukkottai and Sivaganga districts.