Nearly a fortnight after launching parallel probe along with the police into the role of officials of Registration and Stamps department in Miyapur and Balangar land scams, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday registered the first case.
While more such cases are likely to be registered, the first case was registered against Kukatpally Sub-Registrar Rachakonda Srinivasa Rao. He is already lodged in prison along with two directors of private companies in the Miyapur land case. The ACB authorities said Mr. Rao acquired assets worth nearly ₹14 crore which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Mr. Rao was suspended by the higher-ups citing many irregularities including not uploading the documents in the department's computer even after authenticating them. The irregularities came to light during the internal audit of the Registration and Stamps department.
When the department approached the police, a criminal case was registered. The ACB special teams had swung into action soon after registration of the case by the Miyapur police of Cyberabad.
ACB pursuing cases, which were already being investigated by the law and order police, is rare. This is the first time that ACB is digging into the complicity of a government officer in a specific crime leading to registration of a disproportionate assets case.
According to the ACB, Rao had acquired properties In his name and in the names of his family members and fictitious persons. “He opened 12 bank accounts in his name, his son Kanishka's name and in the names of three firms -M/s Hasini Power Projects, M/s Jayasri Enterprises and M/s Padmanabha Marketing Private Limited (revived by Mr. Rao),” said ACB Director General J. Purnachandra Rao said.
According to the ACB, the suspended sub-registrar transferred crores of rupees into the 12 bank accounts. He and his family members own six house plots and 11 acres of land at Moosapet in Narsapur mandal of Medak district.
