Forest official among two arrested by ACB in ₹3.51 lakh bribe case in Kothagudem

A Forest Department official and another person were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday (January, 2025) for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹3.51 lakh from the complainant in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The accused were identified as Thadi Rajender, Plantation Manager, Forest Sub-Division, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Chennam Gopala Krishna, a private person.

According to the ACB, the trap was laid on January 3 at around 1.37 am at Gopala Krishna’s residence in Khammam. The bribe was allegedly demanded on behalf of Thati Sravani, Divisional Manager, Kothagudem, Telangana Forest Development Corporation Limited, for approval of the complainant’s bills related to the cutting of one unit of eucalyptus trees, estimated at around 3,900 tonnes.

Thadi Rajender and Chennam Gopala Krishna were arrested and produced before the special court for SPE and ACB cases in Warangal. The Divisional Manager, Thati Sravani, is absconding and efforts are on to trace her.

The case is under investigation, and the identity of the complainant has been withheld for security reasons. The ACB reiterated that public can report demands for bribes by public servants by calling the toll-free number 1064, assuring confidentiality to the complainants.