Government offices resume work, ACB sleuths back on their toes

HYDERABAD: In the last two months Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which traps corrupt government officials, booked at least 10 cases in the Telangana state, which is a significant change, considering that most of last year saw closure of offices because of Covid-19 lockdown. The agency received only a few complaints. Added to that, ACB personnel were also entrusted Covid-19 duties.

However, this year, with the restoration of near-normalcy and offices having opened fully, ACB sleuths are hopeful of nabbing more tainted officials for which they have devised a new plan of action. 

Some of the big fish netted by ACB officials include V. Bhaskar Chary, and M. Sudhakar Reddy, the managing director and general manager of State Warehousing Corporation, respectively. They were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 75,000 for releasing retirement benefits of a former manager of warehouse.

Another big catch was B. Bhaskar Rao, sub-inspector at SR Nagar police station, who was trapped while accepting Rs 25,000 to let go a criminal case. Assistant director, private schools permission section B. Srinivas was nabbed at the office of the director of school education when he was collecting a bribe of Rs 40,000 for processing school files that sought getting upgraded to higher classes.

In a special operation on January 29,  ACB sleuths caught four persons for demanding Rs 7.5 lakh from a realtor to allow him to go ahead with his venture without any hurdles. The officials include Goda Srinivasulu, mandal panchayat office, Maheshwaram, J Geeta, panchayat secretary, Mansanpally gram panchayat, B. Narasimha Yadav, deputy sarpanch, Mansanpally and Kandi Ramesh, husband of the sarpanch. 

In the most recent catch ACB officials nabbed sarpanch Chellapuram Vinod Goud, Manneguda gram panchayat of Vikarabad district. According to the officials the accused demanded and accepted Rs 13 lakh for allowing the construction of shops in the village although all the permissions were in place.  

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, an ACB official said, “During the lockdown period as most government offices were closed, we received few complaints. However, we have acted on them and successfully netted the tainted officials and sent them to jail.”

During Covid-19 proliferation in June, ACB officials conducted raids and nabbed corrupt officials. In one such incident during a raid at Banjara Hills police station, some came close to contracting the virus. The sleuths nabbed SI, A. Ravinder, a day after around 10 police personnel working at that particular police station, including Ravinder, tested positive. However, none of the ACB officials tested positive.

Recalling the lockdown period, “We were also deployed at Gandhi Hospital for Covid-19 duties as frontline warriors. Now all government offices have started functioning. We have already been receiving complaints from victims and are working accordingly,” added the ACB official.