Twenty government officials in Ernakulam district were caught red-handed in 2025 for allegedly accepting bribes by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). Officials from nine ministries were arrested in 14 cases, according to VACB data. The cases involved bribes totaling ₹4,49,500.
The figures show a sharp increase from the previous year when six officials were arrested in four cases involving ₹37,000. The arrests came after officials fell into traps set by the VACB following complaints from the public.
Of the 20 accused arrested in cases registered in 2025, three each belonged to the local government department and the police. Two officials from the finance department were nabbed, while one each from the motor vehicle department, Kerala water board, Kerala state electricity board, irrigation department, enforcement directorate and bank were also jailed.
Major cases in 2025 include the arrest of an assistant engineer of the Thevara office of the KSEB section and a building inspector at the Vyttila zonal office of the Kochi Corporation. They allegedly demanded bribes of ₹90,000 and ₹15,000 for rendering official services.
The VACB laid the traps after conducting a preliminary verification of complaints against officials allegedly demanding money to carry out work. The police wing most often proceeds to act on the basis of a complaint after securing evidence of a demand for bribe, official sources said.
Sources said the trap may not be successful every time. There are cases where the tainted officials have changed their plans or the complainants have backed out due to fears that the VACB action could affect the personal lives of the officials, the sources added.
CM Varghese, Deputy Superintendent of Police, VACB, Ernakulam unit, termed vigilance traps as the most effective deterrent against bribery. “The arrest is expected to prevent more officers from committing the crime and encourage more people to file complaints,” he said.
This year, the district VACB department recorded one arrest in a “trap case”. A senior official at the Angamaly Labor Assistant Office was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of ₹1,500 in the case. Across the state, 57 cases of entrapment were registered in 2025 and 76 accused were arrested.
Published – 05 Feb 2026 20:23 IST
