On May 15, Kerala’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested a native of Ernakulam, who posed as an Enforcement Directorate (ED) agent and demanded a bribe from a businessman. The man, who introduced himself as Wilson, a native of Thammanam, allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from a businessman in Kottarakkara to stave off an ED investigation against him. The Vigilance officials caught him while accepting Rs 2 lakhs. The Bureau has arrested three other individuals in the past two days in similar bribery trap cases.
According to a press release by the Bureau, this is an all-time record for the state in vigilance trap cases executed within a short period of time. A trap is a planned operation designed and executed to catch a corrupt public servant in the act of demanding or accepting illegal gratification to perform official duties.
As per data, from 2018 to 2025 (till March 31), the Bureau’s trap activity peaked in the first quarter of 2025.
Recent trap cases
On May 15, the same day Wilson was caught, the Bureau apprehended Chellappan, a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) overseer in Wayanad’s Muttil, while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000. He demanded money from an individual for approving an electricity connection. The person had applied for the connection to facilitate the construction of his house.
On May 16, the Bureau caught a headmaster in Kozhikode’s Vadakara. The headmaster of JB Upper Primary School, identified as Raveendran, demanded a bribe for processing a teacher's PF account transfer at his school. He was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh, which included Rs 10,000 in cash and a cheque for Rs 90,000.
Steady increase in trap cases
Data shows a steady increase in traps from 2018 to 2023. In 2024, a slight dip is observed, as the traps laid came down to 40 from 50 in 2023. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Bureau has already carried out 23 traps, which is more than half of the number of traps executed in the entire year of 2024.
The number of tribunal inquiries has also increased over the years. From 2018 to 2020, the figure remained stable at five, and started to slightly increase to reach 27 inquiries in 2024. However, the first quarter of 2025 has already recorded nine inquiries.
Kerala vigilance case data: 2018 - 2025 (till March 31)
The first quarter of 2025 also shows a notable increase in the number of charge sheets filed, compared to recent years: 94 in 2024, 128 in 2023, and 74 in 2022. The highest number of chargesheets was recorded in 2021, at 148, and 2025 has achieved one-sixth of the 2021 figure within three months.
Vigilance Director Manoj Abraham, IPS, said that tip-offs regarding bribery by public servants can be intimated at the Vigilance Bureau’s toll-free numbers 1064 or 8592900900. Intimations can also be sent via WhatsApp on 9447789100.