Andhra bureaucrat with Rs 500 crore disproportionate assets arrested three days before retirement

Anti-Corruption Bureau officials arrested Golla Venkata Raghurami Reddy three days before he was set to retire

The Andhra Pradesh anti-corruption bureau officials arrested a senior bureaucrat for allegedly amassing Rs 500 crore disproportionate assets. Golla Venkata Raghurami Reddy who was set to retire in three days was arrested after raids were conducted at properties belonging to him in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and Maharashtra's Shirdi.

Reddy, director of state town planning in municipal administration department, was to retire on Wednesday and had already planned to throw a huge party abroad. After conducting raids 15 places belonging to the officer, the ACB sleuths arrested him. The government official, it was learned during the raids, also owns a hotel, Sai Suraj Kunj, in Shirdi. 300 acres of valuable land in Gannavaram near Vijayawada belongs to him among other properties. ACB officers also found Rs 50 lakh in cash at Reddy's residence. Raids were also conducted at properties belonging to the official's kin and friends.

The officials are continuing with the raids for the second day on Tuesday. The estimated value of assets unearthed only on Monday is pegged at Rs 500 crore, according to ACB officials. Officials are yet to identify and open bank lockers belonging to the official. "Reddy has been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his income, which is around Rs 1 lakh per month," said RP Thakur, Director General, ACB.

15 teams of the ACB carried out search operations in two states since Monday morning. Officials who carried out raids in Vijayawada claimed that huge amounts of gold and diamonds were stashed in electronics like washing machines.

OneIndia News