Sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) booked case against Capital Regional Development Authority (CRDA) Architectural Draughtsman (ADM) Bhatlanka Sai Kumar, on charges of amassing illegal assets.
The accused, along with a realtor, Pilla Ravi, were caught red-handed while reportedly taking a Rs. 40,000 bribe from a welder P. Madhusudan Rao on November 17. The ADM demanded the amount to prevent demolition of the three-storeyed building constructed by the complainant violating the building plan at Gudivada in Krishna district.
The ACB team led by its Deputy Superintendent of Police V. Gopalakrishna raided the chamber of the accused officer on the same day and were sent to judicial custody. The ACB police further searched Sai Kumar’s house located at Teacher’s Colony in Madhura Nagar in Vijayawada and found cash amounting to Rs. 10 lakh. Further investigations revealed that the ADM had seven bank lockers in different banks in the name of his wife and children.
“Sai Kumar joined service as an assistant architectural draughtsman in the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) in 1989. Later, he was elevated as architectural draughtsman and VGTMUDA was renamed as CRDA last year. The accused amassed properties ten times more than the prescribed amount than his salary,” said the ACB sources.
During searches, officials found that the ADM has six house sites at Ibrahimpatnam, Nunna and in Vijayawada, fixed deposits for Rs. 5 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh bank balance and other properties.
“We searched the houses of Sai Kumar’s family members, friends and well wishers in East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts on Friday. The searches are continuing,” said Mr. Gopalakrishna. Besides the trap case, another case was being slapped on the accused for possessing disproportionate assets, the ACB police said.
