ACB Searches Detect Irregularities at Warangal SRO Office
During the searches, 20 unauthorized agents and document writers were found present in the office. An unaccounted amount of Rs.47,450 was seized along with 70 unregistered documents
WARANGAL: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) carried out simultaneous raids on the Warangal sub-registrar office and the residences of two senior officials. The operation uncovered a bribery network involving unauthorised middlemen and digital payments, leading to the seizure of over ₹24 lakh in unaccounted cash and documents worth lakhs.
Sub-registrars J. Rama Narasimha Rao and Davuluri Aravind were identified as prime suspects. According to ACB officials, the duo had unofficially appointed two document writers as gatekeepers. WhatsApp logs and PhonePe records revealed transactions worth ₹42.03 lakh between the officials and middlemen over the past year. Files were prioritised only through these agents, while ordinary citizens faced harassment.
During Thursday’s office raid, 20 unauthorised brokers were detained. Searches at the officials’ homes on Friday yielded ₹24.61 lakh in cash, 819.5 grams of gold, 2.6 kg of silver and fixed deposits worth ₹3 lakh. One official was found with 254 registered government documents that should have been delivered to citizens but were instead kept at his residence.
The raids also recovered 70 unregistered documents and revealed that 204 registered papers were being deliberately withheld. Officials noted that the assets of both sub-registrars were grossly disproportionate to their legal income.
Digital evidence suggests brokers collected large sums from the public, funnelled to the officials via mobile banking to avoid paper trails. The ACB is preparing a comprehensive report for the state government and has urged citizens to report bribery demands via toll-free number 1064 or WhatsApp at 9440446106, assuring strict confidentiality for whistleblowers.
