Madras High Court upholds bribery conviction of TANGEDCO engineer R. Manivel
The Madras High Court on 16 October 2026 upheld the four-year sentence of R. Manivel, a TANGEDCO assistant executive engineer in Coimbatore, for taking a bribe for a power connection.
Key points
- The Madras High Court dismissed the appeal of a TANGEDCO assistant executive engineer convicted in a 2015 vigilance trap case in Coimbatore.
- The court confirmed four years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of two counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
- The court cancelled his bail bonds and directed the trial court to issue a warrant so that he serves the rest of his sentence.
R. Manivel, an assistant executive engineer of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) at Avarampalayam, Coimbatore district, must serve the rest of a four-year prison sentence for taking a bribe for a new electricity connection. In a judgment pronounced on 16 October 2026, the Madras High Court dismissed his appeal and confirmed his 2018 conviction.
What Happened
According to the prosecution case recorded in the judgment, the engineer demanded Rs 15,000 from a consumer for a second electricity service connection to a house, and was caught by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing, Coimbatore, in a trap in June 2015 after he accepted Rs 10,000 in tainted notes, which were recovered from his table drawer. A Special Court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases in Coimbatore convicted him on 10 August 2018 under Section 7 and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It sentenced him on each count to four years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.
In appeal, his counsel argued that the complaint was false, that the building did not qualify for a second connection, and that the prosecution had not produced a voice recording or a key witness. The High Court considered these points and held that it found no sufficient ground to interfere with the trial court's conviction and sentence.
The court cancelled his bail bonds and directed the Special Judge in Coimbatore to issue a warrant and send him to prison to serve the remaining sentence. The time he has already spent in detention will be set off against the sentence.
What It Means
The conviction is now confirmed by the High Court. The case concerned a routine service that householders deal with: a new electricity connection, for which the consumer had already paid the official estimated charges of Rs 16,450, as recorded in the judgment.
A citizen who faces a bribe demand from an official for a connection, certificate or approval can report it to the state's anti-corruption or vigilance bureau. Oquilia's guide lists every state's helpline: https://www.oquilia.com/report-a-bribe
Source: High Court judgment
Sources & Citations
- High Court judgment — Madras High Court