A Home Guard attached to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Vigilance wing has been repatriated to the city police wing after allegations about extortion of money from a builder.
Two days ago, Baldia’s Vigilance wing wrote to the Hyderabad police to repatriate five of the Home Guards working in it. No official statement was made about the reasons behind the Home Guards being sent back, but sources in GHMC said the alleged collection of money from a builder by one of the five Home Guards, Lanki Reddy, triggered the repatriation.
Interestingly, the Vigilance wing headed by an Additional Superintendent of Police didn’t immediately act when the complaint about the Home Guard reached it. Sources maintained the Home Guard approached a builder in Jubilee Hills and demanded money accusing him of deviation from the approved plan.
The Home Guard allegedly collected money from the builder, but insisted on more. Sources say he even rang up one of the officers in Vigilance and made him talk to the builder.
Worried by the threats of the Home Guard, the builder approached a senior police officer, who in turn conveyed the matter to the top officials in GHMC.
“The builder reportedly recorded the conversation he had with the Home Guard and presented it as proof of his allegation,” persons close to the builder said. In an internal inquiry, the allegation turned out to be true, but the authorities were initially reluctant to act. But some officers in the GHMC opined that it was high time such persons were sent away arguing that any relaxation would only embolden others to continue their fleecing methods.
Further, they realised that allowing Home Guards to work in Vigilance wing for several years facilitated their corrupt practices. Along with the Home Guard accused of corruption, four other Home Guards working in the wing for longer periods were repatriated to the city police.
Four others with longer duration of service repatriated citing scope for corruption
