Tamil Nadu forest officer arrested over alleged ₹1 lakh bribe

Tenkasi district DVAC sleuths on Wednesday arrested Sivagiri Forest Range Officer P Kathiravan (51) for allegedly accepting a Rs 1 lakh bribe from a government contractor. The officer had reportedly sought 30% of the bill amount, totalling Rs 18.45 lakh, as a bribe. According to sources, contractors Paul Suthar and S Sureshkumar (45) of Chennai secured a tender on February 7, 2026, to construct an 8-km elephant-proof trench along forest areas near Chinnamalai in Puliyangudi and Sivagiri regions. The work was aimed at preventing elephants from entering villages and damaging agricultural fields. Kathiravan allegedly demanded the bribe from Sureshkumar. On Tuesday, when the contractor met him to request permission to continue the work, the range officer allegedly accepted the payment, leading to his arrest.