The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which conducted an inquiry into the allegations levelled by Madhurawada Sub-Registrar T. Tarakesh against the Visakhapatnam ACB team, had submitted its report to the government a couple of days ago.
As per the report, Mr. Tarakesh had submitted false evidence against the ACB team and tried to misguide the officials and damage the reputation of the investigating agency.
The ACB team, headed by Visakhapatnam Range DSP K. Rangaraju and comprising CI Sk. Gaffoor and others, had raided the Madhurawada Sub-Registrar’s office on October 9 and seized ₹1 lakh unaccounted for money from the office.
The ACB officials later registered a case against Mr. Tarakesh and took up investigation.
Following the raids, the DIG, Stamps and Registrations Department, A. Ravindranath, had transferred Mr. Tarakesh to Tekkali in Srikakulam district.
A few days after the raids, the Sub-Registrar met Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose and charged the ACB team with deliberately trying to trap him with mala fide intention. To prove his allegations, Mr. Tarakesh had submitted “CCTV footages” against the investigation officers.
Responding to the allegations, Mr. Bose directed ACB Director-General Kumar Viswajeet to conduct an inquiry and suspended Mr. Ravindranath.
Mr. Viswajeet ordered ACB Joint Director (Andhra) T. Mohan Rao to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.
“Based on the observations of the inquiry officer, a report has been submitted to the government. The CCTV footages are concocted and the allegations levelled by the Sub-Registrar against the ACB team are false,” Mr. Viswajeet said, adding that the Sub-Registrar tried to damage the reputation of the ACB to save his skin.
“Mr. Tarakesh had alleged that Mr. Gaffoor went out of the office during the raid, brought ₹61,000 and placed the money in his office. The CCTV footage has proved that the allegation is false. The Sub-Registrar had also alleged that a constable went into the record room, but could not find anything. But, as per the clippings of the surveillance camera, the amount was seized by the ACB staff in the presence of private document writer U. Krishna,” Mr. Viswajeet said.
‘Procedure followed’
The ACB officials had recorded the entire raid. The seizures had been made in the presence of the mediator with necessary proof and recorded the statements.
“The Visakhapatnam ACB officials had taken all the measures and followed the procedure while seizing the cash and material, questioning the staff and in recording their statements. The unaccounted for amount seized by them in the Sub-Registrar’s office was not ₹61,000 as alleged by Mr. Tarakesh. The actual amount seized was ₹1 lakh,” Mr. Viswajeet said.
