The Central Investigation Unit (CIU) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Deputy Commissioner (DC-Endowments) Kancharla Vijaya Sagar Babu on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The investigation officers seized Rs. 1.4 crore in cash from three bank lockers located at Nunna (in Krishna district), Kurnool and Guntur districts. The DC was produced in the ACB Court here, said ACB Director-General M. Malakondaiah.
On a tip-off that the officer amassed properties through illegal means, the ACB team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) A. Rama Devi raided his house at Bodapadu, near Nunna.
Raids were also conducted at eight other places at Gannavaram and Srisailam at Sagar Babu’s relatives and friends’ houses.
CIU officials, during searches, reportedly found that the DC owned six plots at Surampalli, Paritala, Buddavaram and Vedurupavuluru villages, one shop at Nunna, one house at Ajit Singh Nagar and two acres of agriculture land at Mustabad village in Krishna district.
Some of the properties were registered in the name of the officer’s wife, K. Rama Devi. Besides two four-wheelers, valued at Rs. 18 lakh, household articles worth Rs. 6.5 lakh, 750 gm gold, 1.75 kg silver ornaments, all valued at Rs. 3.79 crore had been unearthed, said Mr. Malakondaiah in a press release.
Benami locker“We opened the bank lockers in Andhra Bank Branches at Nunna, Old Guntur and Kurnool and found Rs. 1.4 crore cash. The lockers in Nunna and Kurnool are in the name of Sagar Babu’s wife and the locker at Old Guntur Branch was opened in the name of Mannem Srinivasa Rao, who is the benami of the officer,” DSP Rama Devi told The Hindu .
Mr. Srinivasa Rao is working as Senior Assistant in Srikalahasti temple in Chittoor district.
The ACB seized several original documents relating to the properties from Guntur Andhra Bank on Saturday. The estimated value of the seized properties in the market would be more than Rs. 25 crore, the CIU DSP said.
“The Deputy Commissioner joined service as a typist, and was promoted as senior assistant, office superintendent, assistant commissioner and elevated to DC cadre. He worked in Guntur, Ongole and as Srisailam temple Executive Officer in Kurnool district. This is the first time in the recent past that the ACB seized huge cash in a disproportionate assets case,” Mr. Malakondaiah added.
