Assistant Labour Commissioner arrested in Bribery Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Assistant Labour Commissioner (Central) of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, Puducherry and a private individual in a bribery case.

This news has sent shockwaves across the nation. The role of Labour Officers is considered one of the most crucial in ensuring that workers’ rights are protected, fair practices are followed, and justice is delivered to those in need. When such an officer, entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the rights of labourers, is caught engaging in corruption, it raises serious concerns about the misuse of power and betrayal of public trust.

CBI had registered a case on 21st August, 2025 against the accused Assistant Labour Commissioner, three officials of a private company, a private individual and other unknown public servants and private individuals.

It is alleged that the accused Assistant Labour Commissioner through a private individual had illegally demanded a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh for issuing two labour licences to a private company represented by three officials of the company which had taken a contract for NHAI road at Trichy.

For the said contract, the company had applied for two labour licences in the office of Assistant Labour Commissioner (Central), Puducherry. Since the company did not have labour licence, the payment for the same was pending with NHAI.

After registration of the case, the accused public servant and the private person (through whom the bribe was demanded) were detained and an amount of Rs. 1 lakh was recovered from the office room of the accused public servant. Both the accused have been arrested.

The arrested accused public servant and the private person were produced before the Court at Puducherry and remanded to judicial custody till 04.09.2025.

CBI conducted searches at the official and residential premises of the accused public servant and the premises of a private company at Theni, Tamil Nadu from which incriminating documents were recovered. Searches are ongoing at the native place of the accused public servant in Rajasthan.

This incident has deeply disturbed people because Labour Officers are expected to act as guardians of law and fairness in the workplace. Instead of upholding the principles of honesty and integrity, involvement in bribery not only damages the credibility of the institution but also directly affects the lives of poor and vulnerable workers who depend on these officers for justice.

The arrest highlights the urgent need for strict vigilance, stronger accountability measures, and zero tolerance towards corruption in departments that deal with public welfare. It serves as a reminder that corruption at any level undermines the very foundation of trust between citizens and government institutions.