ACB collects data of tainted officers, intensified raids on corrupted staff

Mouli Mareedu 

With a number of complaints against tainted government employees pouring in to the State Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), the agency officials have intensified raids on the officials/employees indulging in demanding and accepting bribes in return of official favours. Sources told Express that the agency officials have obtained data of corrupted employees working in various departments and kept a close vigil on their regular activities. In previous data, a majority of employees working in Revenue, GHMC and police departments topped in demanding bribes from public. In latest complaints received by ACB officials across all districts indicate that some more staff of departments come under scanner of the agency. "In phased manner, the agency officials will crack the whip on corrupted officials/employees working in state government departments based on the data received by the senior officials in districts and capital city of the state. After verifying the details submitted by the complainants and internal intelligence of the agency, the ACB will not hesitate to conduct surprise raids and take stern action as per Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant sections against the corrupted officers,'' sources said. Since last three months, the agency arrested around 50 accused officers after conducting subsequent raids and seized illegal assets amassed by the officers. A senior officer from the agency explained that the team members in districts and Hyderabad city are trained to handle surprise searches, obtaining information about tainted officers, registering cases and monitoring the legal proceedings to get guilty of trained officers/employees before the court of law. The state ACB is equipped with latest technology in tracking cases of corruption. After creating awareness among the public to approach the ACB officers, the agency has set up a toll free number 1046. Every citizen who is facing problems of irregular activity of government officers/employees demanding bribe amount for doing official favour, they can be reached the ACB by calling to 1046 toll free number. 

Box: trained government staff held accepting bribe

# January 27, 2018: A TSSPDCL (electricity department) lineman B Venkatesh was caught red handed by ACB in Kuntloor of Hayatnagar for accepting bribe of Rs 3,000.

# January 20, 2018: The ACB officials conducted surprise raids on the residence of Irrigation department officer K Shravan Reddy in Medchal and unearthed Rs 5 crore illegal assets.

# January 13, 2018: The agency unearthed Rs 5 crore illegal assets amassed by the Sunkaraneni Ramesh, executive engineer of ITDA Adilabad district in Hyderabad and other places.

# October 12, 2017: The ACB arrested an Assistant Commissioner of Excise department A Srinivas Reddy for procuring Rs 6 crore illegal assets.

# September 27, 2017: The GHMC Assistant Engineer Kuppa Naik was caught red handed while accepting bribe amount of Rs 30,000.

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DGP to interact with district police associations soon

Mouli Mareedu @Hyderabad

How many times have we seen a civil (law and order) policeman on duty not wearing his Khakis and without his mandatory cap? Many a times! And more so in districts and villages. Some policemen's failure to follow basic practices has come to the notice of senior officials in the state police headquarters, the DGP's office, and the senior officials want to take corrective measures. Very soon, a meeting will be convened with all police associations of districts and instructions will be passed on to the entry level through them. Sources told Express that Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Redd would interact with the district police association members/representatives. The meeting with the association members would be held for two days at the police state headquarters in Hyderabad. All 31 district police association representatives including administrative staff of district police offices (DPOs) have received information from the DGP office inviting them to an interaction with the DGP. "The police department is a disciplinary organisation and every policeman must follow its rules and regulation. We noticed that a number of policemen working in districts have failed to follow minimum rules such as wearing Khaki uniform, wearing caps on their heads and regular drill (physical exercise). It will be confusing when policemen in civil dress discharge duties in police stations. At the lower level, staff including beat policemen indulged in wearing civilian clothes rather than khaki while on duty,'' sources said. In the meeting, the higher officials will discuss how police associations must work on friendly policing, transparency in police stations in accepting complaints, community policing and usage of technology. "The police associations work in coordinating issues of policemen and act as bridges between police staff and higher officials. The associations are also responsible to see that staff work smartly and follow discipline. The DGP also took measures in introducing latest technology in police department and recently launched TS COP mobile application for internal usage. All these issues will come for discussions with the associations and it will help the department to be transparent among public by delivering good service,'' said a senior officer. The police associations and administration staff meeting with the DGP is likely to take place on Tuesday in the city. 

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Personal or otherwise, behave with discipline, policemen told

Mouli Mareedu @ Hyderabad

More and more law enforcers are being caught nowadays violating the same system they are supposed to uphold. As a result, senior police officials have given internal instructions to officers to comply with rules and keep away from controversial issues -- personal or otherwise. The direction has come after a woman ASP with the Anti Corruption Bureau was accused by her estranged husband of having an extramarital affair with an Inspector-level officer. Though the issue has come up at a time when campaigns have intensified against criminalisation of consensual relationships and the Supreme Court has asked the Constitutional Bench to review the victorian era adultery laws that treat the wife has a property of the husband, a senior officer insisted that the officials involved had violated rules and consequently faced departmental action. "A group of senior officers have thoroughly discussed the incident and reviewed previous illegal activities of several police officers. They have issued internal instructions to officers to comply with rules," he said. "Rachakonda police officials have topped taking stern action against negligent officers compared to Hyderabad and Cyberabad,'' sources added. Even recently, a few inspectors, sub inspectors and police constables were suspended from duty for indulging in illegal activities and careless handling of cases. Jawaharnagar inspector was also transferred for his rude behaviour while collecting details from a scene of murder.

Caught on the wrong side

Aug 20, 2016: CID DSP Balu Jadhav, head constable Sadasiva Rao suspended for accpeting bribe from accused in EAMCET II scam

Oct 2, 2016: Kushaiguda SI Nageshwara Rao, head constable Somi Reddy suspended for demanding bribe from a driver

Nov 3, 2017: Four police officers suspended for helping slain gangster Mohammed Nayeemuddin

Nov 15, 2017: Armed Reserve ASI suspended for getting a massage from woman staff

Jan 3, 2017: Miyapur inspector K Ramesh and SI N Ramulu for not registering cases 

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IPS officer Rajiv Trivedi to cycle against child marriages

Mouli Mareedu @ Hyderabad

Every January, Rajiv Trivedi IPS chooses a social theme and rallies for the same by taking up a cycle yatra along with his family members. This year too, the Principal Home Secretary has kicked off a cycle yatra to campaign against child marriages.He will cycle all the way from Hyderabad to Mahbubnagar along with his sons Prasoon and Prashant, who are working in USA and Bengaluru, and wife Udaya on the eve of Republic Day. "The cycle yatra is not only a fitness mantra but will also help us meet people and interact with them. This year, we have selected several social themes such as prevention of child marriages, Swachh Telangana, Harita Haram, health and fitness. All these issues are related to common man and there is need to create awareness,'' Rajiv Trivedi told Express. "We have a fascination for health, fitness, and nutrition in the family and my wife Udaya ensures a fine balance in every aspect of our life," Trivedi informed. They have been doing this quite frequently and have already done Hyderabad to Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Nalgonda, Warangal, Sangareddy and Ibrahimpatnam."We utilise such family events to spread socially relevant messages along the way," said Prasoon, who is on vacation to the city from US. Trivedi's family members have covered the distance of 120 kilo meters in about five hours riding on cycles. "The road was good, the climate was cool and I had my brother and parents for company so the ride was very enjoyable", said Prashant, Trivedi's younger son who works in Bengaluru. Rajiv Trivedi is a professional swimmer. He swam the 32 kilo meter long English Channel in 2001 within 13 hours. He is the first IPS officer in swimming the Strait of Gibraltar after he finished swimming from Karifa in Spain to Mount Moosa.

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