Karimnagar: A government surveyor allegedly outsourced the collection of a Rs 25,000 bribe to two private assistants and even received part of the money through a UPI transaction before being caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday in Karimnagar district.
Accused details
The ACB arrested Saidapur Mandal Surveyor Yekkaladevi Kumaraswamy and his two private assistants, Teegala Rajesh and Vanga Vihith Reddy, for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes from a landowner in exchange for conducting an official land survey.
Bribe sought for land survey
According to ACB officials, the complainant had approached the surveyor for a survey of land located in Ammangurthi village of Saidapur mandal.
The surveyor allegedly demanded Rs 25,000 to carry out the official work, which should have been done without any illegal payment. Unable to meet the demand, the complainant approached the ACB, which initiated an inquiry and laid a trap.
Bribe money collected in three instalments
Investigators found that the bribe amount was collected in stages. The surveyor allegedly received Rs 5,000 through a UPI transaction on May 23.
Later, another Rs 10,000 was collected in cash on June 2 through one of his private assistants, Vanga Vihith Reddy. The remaining Rs 10,000 was accepted on Friday through another assistant, Teegala Rajesh, during the ACB trap operation.
ACB catches aide red-handed
Acting on the complaint, ACB officials trapped Teegala Rajesh while he was accepting the final instalment of the bribe on behalf of the surveyor. The tainted cash was recovered from his possession.
Officials said the evidence gathered during the operation indicated that the surveyor had used his assistants as intermediaries to collect illegal gratification while performing his official duties.
Three arrested, probe continues
Following the successful trap, ACB officials arrested the surveyor and both private assistants. They were produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Karimnagar.
The bureau said further investigation is underway to ascertain whether similar complaints exist against the accused and to examine the role played by the private assistants in the alleged bribery network.
Public urged to report corruption on 1064
The ACB has appealed to citizens to report demands for bribes by public servants through its toll-free helpline 1064.
Complaints can also be lodged through WhatsApp and the agency's official social media platforms. Officials assured that the identity of complainants would be kept confidential.