ACB To Grill Senior Animal Husbandry Official Over Scams

 Hyderabad: The ACB is likely to serve notice a senior officer of the animal husbandry department for questioning, suspecting his role in diverting government funds in the sheep purchase scam case.

Agency officials have grilled accused officers D. Ravi, assistant director, Area Veterinary Hospital, Kamareddy; M. Aditya Kesav Sai, assistant director, District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Officer (AHO), Medchal; Pasula Raghupathi Reddy, district groundwater officer, Ranga Reddy and Sangu Ganesh, deputy director, adult education department in police custody.

The accused allegedly disclosed details of more officers diverting funds on the pretext of sheep purchase. Even as the government assigned other department officers to purchase sheep from neighbouring states to prevent irregularities, they diverted funds under the influence of animal husbandry officials.

The key accused, Syed Mohidoddin and Syed Ikramuddin Ahmed, allegedly offered huge bribes to officers for creating benami accounts and diverting the funds. The duo is still absconding.

At that time, Secunderabad BRS MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav was minister of animal husbandry, in whose tenure the cow purchase scam also took place. Days before the Assembly elections, files of Srinivas Yadav’s officer on special duty (OSD) Kalyan Kumar were damaged by the staff and records were stolen. A case was registered at Nampally police station in this regard.

During the investigation, the ACB reportedly was tipped off about the role of a joint director of animal husbandry’s role in scams.

A few days ago, farmers from Andhra Pradesh approached ACB over non-payment for cow purchases, which broke the scam to the public.