Kottayam: An MG University employee, who took a bribe of Rs 15,000 after promising to provide an MBA certificate, was arrested by the vigilance on Saturday.
University Assistant CJ Elsy was taken into custody while taking the bribe.
The Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) said Elsy had exacted Rs 1,25,000 from the student on various occasions.
Recently, she had demanded Rs 50,000 as bribe from the 2014-16 batch MBA student of the Mangalam College at Ettumannur.
According to the VACB, Elsy had lowered her demand to Rs 30,000 after the student claimed inability to arrange Rs 50,000. As per the arrangement, Elsy was to receive Rs 15,000 on Saturday and the remaining amount a week later.
The student had reportedly cleared a paper on mercy chance last September. However, unaware of the result, she checked with the section that misinformed her and kept demanding bribes.
VACB said in a press release that Elsy tricked the student into believing that she had failed, while in fact, the student had passed the paper with 57% marks.
Elsy allegedly promised to provide a professional certificate. However, after realising that she had been tricked, the student notified the Vigilance department.
On the instructions of East Zone superintendent VG Vinod Kumar, a team led by Kottayam Unit deputy police superintendent, Viswanathan planned to trap the accused.
The vigilance team intercepted soon after Elsy had collected Rs 15,000 by 2 pm in front of the Pareeksha Bhavan of the university.
The accused will be produced before the vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram later.