Jahangir Basha, the Udhagamandalam Municipality Commissioner, was caught red-handed by the DVAC on the night of 9 November 2024 while receiving a bribe. A sum of ₹11.7 lakh was seized from him, and an FIR was filed under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act the following day. However, to the shock of many, it is alleged that Basha was recently promoted to the position of Assistant Commissioner at the Tirunelveli Corporation.
Jahangir Basha, who was booked by DVAC two weeks ago in Ooty, has been posted as Assistant Commissioner, Tirunelveli corporation? https://t.co/5MugsNunnG pic.twitter.com/NmQsoOUyMD
— Thinakaran Rajamani (@thinak_) November 26, 2024
According to The New Indian Express, Basha was traveling in a taxi to Coimbatore railway station when the DVAC team intercepted the vehicle and discovered the unaccounted cash. During questioning, Basha confessed that he had received the money as a bribe to approve illegal building constructions. A tip-off had led to the raid, and a DVAC official confirmed that Basha would often transport the bribe money to his hometown.
Jahangir Basha had assumed the role of Udhagamandalam Municipal Commissioner in August, after serving as the Municipal Commissioner in Theni. Despite not being arrested immediately, he was initially removed from his post and placed on a waiting list. Basha’s rapid promotion has drawn significant criticism, with many questioning the propriety of the decision given the corruption allegations against him.
Meanwhile, other recent transfers include Erode Municipal Assistant Commissioner Krishnamoorthy, who has been moved to Krishnagiri as the Municipal Commissioner, and Krishnagiri’s Stanley Babu, who has been appointed as the Ooty Municipal Commissioner. Karthikeyan, the Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Drinking Water Supply Department officially confirmed the transfers.
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
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