Voter bribery operation busted in Prakasam district

Two individuals -- P Govindaiah and V Perireddy -- were detained after they were found to have transferred money through digital payment apps, as part of an attempt to buy postal ballot votes from government staff.

The Darsi police station has registered two cases against Govindaiah and Perireddy under Sections 171(E) and 171(H) related to undue influence and illegal practices connected to an election.

The attempt came to light after a flying squad team monitoring the election scene received a tip-off about the alleged UPI money transfers.

Govindaiah, a 41-year-old resident of Veligandla village, is accused of receiving `20,000 via UPI from Narayana and then distributing `5,000 each to four government employees.

In a separate incident, Ch Krishna Reddy, reportedly associated with a political party, allegedly transferred `55,000 to Perireddy (39) from Kothapalem village. Perireddy purportedly disbursed `5,000 in payments to six government staff members.

The recipients of the illicit funds included eight teachers, two police officers, one auxiliary nurse-midwife, and a government volunteer.

Two of the payees are said to be affiliated with a political party. After examining the UPI transaction records, the authorities determined that the money transfers were intended to improperly influence the postal ballot voting process.

“Both bribery of government election staff and acceptance of such bribes are criminal offenses. We will initiate legal action against any government employee found complicit in such actions. Relevant government departments have also been notified to initiate disciplinary proceedings,” said a statement from the office of SP, Sumit Sunil.