VACB steps up anti-corruption drive in Kerala, registers 818 cases in five years

Thiruvananthapuram: The VACB has registered 818 corruption-related cases in the state over the past five years, officials said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) said it has recorded significant achievements in its anti-corruption drive during the period by strengthening surveillance, adopting advanced technology and enhancing public participation.

Of the 818 cases registered, 232 were trap cases in which officials were caught red-handed while accepting bribes — the highest ever in the bureau’s history, the statement said.

“In 2025 alone, 57 trap cases were registered, marking the highest annual figure. In one of the biggest seizures, a panchayat overseer was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh,” the statement said.

The VACB said that, in addition, 421 vigilance investigations, 1,847 preliminary enquiries and 547 secret verifications were conducted over the last five years.

As many as 11,294 surprise inspections and 106 state-level surprise checks were carried out, and action was taken on 67,165 complaints, it said.

Vigilance courts in the state disposed of 136 cases during the period, resulting in the conviction of 227 accused persons.

To address pendency, a new Vigilance court was established in Kollam, and cases from Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts were shifted from the Thiruvananthapuram court to expedite trial proceedings, the VACB said.

According to the bureau, operations were intensified to ensure that public services and benefits are delivered without corruption, leveraging digital tools and scientific investigation methods.

As part of the digital transformation, a modern Cyber Forensic Lab was set up at the Vigilance headquarters to enable scientific analysis of evidence and real-time cyber investigations.

The bureau also developed a Crime and Enquiry Management Service portal in line with the government’s paperless governance policy, and the process of digitising all case files is in its final stage.

“Based on complaints received from the public and subsequent secret verifications, Vigilance prepared a list of around 700 government officials allegedly involved in repeated corrupt practices and placed them under close monitoring,” the statement said.

To make anti-corruption mechanisms more citizen-friendly, the bureau launched a toll-free number and a WhatsApp-based complaint registration system.

“An AI-based Citizen-Centric Complaint Management System is under development, which will enable complainants to track the status of their cases in real time,” the VACB said.

VACB Director Manoj Abraham said additional administrative posts were created to strengthen the agency’s human resources.

“In a first for the bureau, 80 officers were deputed for training at the CBI Academy. Five regional training centres were also established across Vigilance ranges to ensure continuous professional development,” he said in the statement.