Kozhikode: Vigilance officials arrested Pantheerankavu village officer M P Anil Kumar for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 in exchange for a land conversion certificate. The arrest occurred at a hotel near the Government Medical College Hospital around 7:30 pm on Monday.

Kumar reportedly demanded Rs 2 lakh from an applicant seeking a certificate to convert 30 cents of land within a one-acre plot at Kaimbalam, Kunnathupalam, to start a fuel station. The bribe was to be paid in instalments, with Rs 50,000 as the first payment.

However, the applicant reported the demand to vigilance authorities, who set up a trap and apprehended Kumar while he attempted to take the money.

According to sources, Kumar had been under surveillance due to similar complaints in the past. He was recently transferred to Pantheerankavu. Kozhikode Vigilance DySP K K Biju led the operation.