Bribery Scandal Rocks Indian Oil Corporation

A Deputy General Manager at Indian Oil Corporation's Ernakulam office was arrested for allegedly accepting a Rs 2 lakh bribe. Alex Mathew was caught at a complainant's house after demanding Rs 10 lakh to prevent transferring customer connections. The Vigilance Department conducted a sting operation leading to his arrest.

In a significant crackdown, a Deputy General Manager of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been detained on bribery charges. The arrest occurred as Alex Mathew, stationed at the IOC's Ernakulam office, was allegedly caught receiving a Rs 2 lakh bribe from a gas agency owner.

The incident unfolded in Kuravankonam when Mathew, who had reportedly demanded Rs 10 lakh to hinder the transfer of clients from his wife's gas agency, was apprehended red-handed. This operation was meticulously executed by the Special Investigation Unit-1 of the Vigilance Department late Saturday.

Facing allegations of reassigning 1,200 connections to rival agencies when his demands went unmet, Mathew's arrest followed a well-laid trap by the authorities. The accused is now set to appear before a vigilance court, as investigations continue into this significant breach of trust within the IOC.

(With inputs from agencies.)