കേസില്‍ കുടുക്കുമെന്ന് ഭീഷണിപ്പെടുത്തി കൈക്കൂലി വാങ്ങി; വനംവകുപ്പ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥര്‍ പിടിയില്‍

Two forest department officials were arrested by the Vigilance department for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh in Kakkanad, Kochi. The accused, Deputy Range Officer Sreejith and Section Forest Officer Jimmy Scaria, had threatened to implicate hotel employees in a false case involving the killing of a monitor lizard. Acting on a complaint filed by the hotel staff, the Vigilance team laid a trap and caught the officers red-handed while accepting the money. This incident has raised concerns regarding the misuse of power by officials to harass local businesses. Further investigation is underway to determine if the duo was involved in similar extortion cases previously.