The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Andhra Pradesh trapped and arrested Banaganapalle Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) P. Venkateswarlu and Village Surveyor K. Nagaraju for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹50,000.
The bribe was sought from a farmer, P. Rama Narasimha Reddy, of Kothakota village, Nandyala district, for facilitating the mutation of land records following his father’s death. Reddy had applied for the mutation to transfer the land in his name.
The MRO and surveyor initially demanded ₹70,000, which was negotiated down to ₹50,000. Reddy, unwilling to pay the bribe, lodged a complaint with the ACB.
The ACB team, led by DSP Ramakrishna, conducted a trap operation at the MRO office in Banaganapalle. The surveyor, K. Nagaraju, was caught red-handed while receiving the bribe amount of ₹50,000 from Reddy. The MRO, P. Venkateswarlu, was arrested shortly after, as he was complicit in the demand and acceptance of the bribe.
Both the MRO and surveyor have been taken into custody and are being investigated. The ACB has registered a case under Section 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 1988.
The ACB also conducted searches at the residences of both accused officials, looking for disproportionate assets. Further investigation is underway to determine the extent of their illegal gains and any other potential involvement in corrupt practices. This action highlights the ACB’s continued efforts to curb corruption within the state’s administrative machinery. The incident occurred on March 7, 2024.
