In a significant crackdown on corruption at the grassroots level, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana has apprehended three officials from the Panchayat Raj department in a bribery case. The arrests were made on Wednesday by the Rangareddy range team of the ACB from Nandigama.
The Bribery Demand and Arrest
The accused officials have been identified as Ponna Sumathi, the Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO) of Nandigama, and Vadthyavath Tej Singh, the Mandal Panchayat Officer (MPO) of the same area. According to the ACB, these two officials demanded a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a complainant. The bribe was solicited for processing and issuing house-building permissions for four plots for which the applicant had already submitted the requisite official fee.
The ACB's investigation revealed that the MPDO and MPO had already accepted an initial payment of Rs 1.5 lakh as part of the total bribe amount. This earlier transaction was allegedly facilitated through a third accused, Avula Chennaiah, who serves as the Panchayat Secretary of Edulapally gram panchayat in Nandigama mandal.
The Trap and Recovery of Bribe Money
On Wednesday, the ACB laid a trap when the officials, through the panchayat secretary, were about to collect the next installment of the bribe. The team successfully caught them red-handed while Rs 1 lakh was being accepted as part payment. The cash was recovered from the possession of Panchayat Secretary Avula Chennaiah at his own disclosure following the arrest.
Legal Proceedings and Judicial Action
Following the operation, all three individuals were arrested by the ACB officials. They are now in custody and will be presented before the Principal Special Judge for SPE & ACB cases in Nampally for judicial remand. The case highlights the ongoing efforts by the state's anti-corruption agency to curb malpractices within government departments, particularly those dealing directly with public services like building approvals.
This incident underscores the challenges of corruption at the local governance level and sends a strong message about the consequences of demanding illegal gratifications. The ACB's action is likely part of a broader vigilance drive aimed at ensuring transparency in the Panchayat Raj institutions across Telangana.
