Over a period of 5 years, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested 114 officials serving in the revenue department, of which 104 were caught red-handed accepting bribe while 4 were booked under disproportionate assets case. On Wednesday, a Telangana government official was caught by the ACB while accepting Rs 1.12 crore bribe for official favour in a land issue.
According to the ACB, Additional Collector, Medak, Gaddam Nagesh had demanded the bribe from a farmer for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in respect of his 112 acre land in Chippalturthi village of Narsapur mandal.
He had struck a deal with the farmer for Rs 1.12 crore at the rate of Rs 1 lakh per acre. While Rs 40 lakh was to be given in the form of cash, the remaining bribe amount of Rs 72 lakh was to be paid in the form of five acre land.
The land owner recorded the conversation with the official and lodged a complaint with the ACB, which laid a trap and caught the official red-handed while accepting the bribe including Rs 40 lakh cash.
ACB officials were carrying out searches at the residence of the official and 11 other premises belonging to him and other employees who were working under him. ACB Deputy Superintendent, Sangareddy, Suryanarayana, who was leading the raids, said searches were on at the Additional Collector's residence in Medak town and other places.
The anti-graft agency seized documents and other items during the raids. The official said they would also open the bank lockers of the accused.
Other corruption cases in Telangana
Last month, the ACB had arrested a tahsildar in Keesara mandal near Hyderabad while accepting Rs 1.10 crore bribe in cash from a real estate dealer. According to the data available, the most corrupt are Tahsildars, Deputy Tahsildar, Revenue divisional officers, Village revenue officers.
This is the second time the tehsildar was caught in a graft case. In the DA case booked against him in 2011, ACB failed to get prosecution approval from his parent department as action against the tainted was dropped.
Trap cases registered against revenue officials who demanded and accepted huge bribe amount:
2020
- Nagaraju Erva Balaraju–Tahasildar Keesara-Rs 1.10 Crore
- Gaddam Nagesh-Additional Collector-Rs 19.5 lakh + Rs 20.5 lakh (bribe taken in two instalments)
- Nagarjuna Reddy Kandala-Revenue Inspector-Shaikpet –Rs 15 lakhs
- Jayalaxmi Maram, Deputy Tahsildar–Nagarkurnool–Rs 1 lakh
2019
- M- Village Revenue officer–Rs 4 lakhs
- Ravi Raja Kumar Rao K –Tahsildar, Ellanthakunta– Karimnagar–Rs 2 lakh
- Siva Rao Siram- Village Revenue Officer,Maddivancha –Mahabubabad- Rs 1.44 lakh
2018
- B-Deputy Tahsildar, Bachupally –Medchal- Rs 3 lakhs
- Mallikarjun Rao B, Tahsildar, Wanaparthy– Rs 1.50 lakh
2017
- Anil Kumar Kummarikuntla-Deputy Tahsildar –Rs 6 lakhs
- Ramesh Goud Bandari–Tahsildar, Komuram Bheem – Rs 2 lakh
- Srinivas Tallapalli–Deputy Tahsildar – Rs 1.30 lakh
2016
- Ravinder Reddy.P, Tahsildar Doulatabad, Medak- Rs 2 lakhs
2015
- Sandhya.S-Tahsildar–Ambeerpet–Rs 4lakhs
2011
- Srinivas Raju.Ch –Tahsildar,Tirumalgiri–Nalgonda– Rs 1 lakh
2010
- Satyanarayana. Y, Law officer ( Dy Collector) Hyderabad- Rs 2 lakhs
- Mohan Rao.P –Senior Assistant, Hyderabad collectorate-Rs 1 lakh
- Farooq Ahmed B.S-Chief Executive officer, Hyderabad – Rs 1 lakh
Cases booked against revenue department officials between 2016 and 2020
- Trap – 101 (caught red-handed with bribe)
- Disproportionate assets cases – 4 ( immovable and movable properties unearthed)- 4
- Other corruption cases – 9
(With inputs from wires)
