Miyapur scam: ACB, IT department to run parallel probes

Hyderabad: The cases of suspended sub-registrar of Kukatpally R. Srinivas Rao, and sub-registrar of LB Nagar T. Rajesh Chander Reddy, both booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, have been forwarded to the income tax department for investigation. Both have been accused of having assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. The I-T department will investigate the movable and immovable purchases of the two officials.

 In the case of suspended officer Srinivasa Rao, the ACB unearthed assets worth Rs 14 crore and arrested him in connection with the illegal transfer of government land in Miyapur, causing a loss of Rs 587 crore to the state exchequer. Rajesh Reddy, LB Nagar sub-registrar, is accused of possessing disproportionate assets worth Rs 4 crore.

A senior ACB officer said that during the investigation it was found that both the accused have benami properties (registered in the name of proxies) running into crores of rupees. The pr-operties were booked in the name of family members and friends. 

The officer said that the income tax department will first check if the benami holders have paid income tax on those properties. If I-T returns have been filed, the punishment for the benami will be limited; he will be charged for being part of the conspiracy.  However, the accused will be book-ed under the Prohibition of Benami Properties Act, and there will be a parallel investigation by the ACB and I-T. 

This is being done to ensure that corrupt public servants cannot escape with a single Prevention of Corruption Act case, but are nailed by several anti-corruption agencies.