Thrissur | A court here on Thursday sentenced a former labour department official to four years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him in a corruption case related to accepting a bribe from a footwear and fancy shop owner in Palakkad in 2012.

Thrissur Vigilance Court Judge K M Ratheesh Kumar also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on K Krishnakumar (62), former Assistant Labour Officer of Mannarkkad and a native of Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram district.

The prosecution case relates to Krishnakumar allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000 from a footwear and fancy shop owner in Palakkad.

According to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, an inspection was conducted by the Mannarkkad Assistant Labour Office in January 2012 at a footwear and fancy shop run by the complainant and his friend at Polakkode in Palakkad district.

During the inspection, officials found that workers were allegedly not being paid minimum wages, following which the complainant was issued a notice directing payment of wage arrears.

When the complainant approached the Assistant Labour Office two months later to remit the amount specified in the notice, Krishnakumar, who had recently taken charge as Assistant Labour Officer, allegedly told him that the amount need not be paid and that the issue could be settled if he paid a bribe of Rs 6,000, the Vigilance said.

He was allegedly caught red-handed by the Palakkad VACB unit while accepting the bribe from the complainant.

The case was investigated by former Deputy SPs Satheesan K and Sukumaran, and former Inspector Firoz M Sheikh of the Palakkad VACB.

Public Prosecutor V K Shylajan appeared for the VACB.