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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