Grama Palana Officer caught taking ₹15,000 bribe in land registration case in Bhadradri Kothagudem

A Grama Palana Officer in Bhadradri Kothagudem district was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 to show official favour in a land registration matter.

The accused, Banavath Srinivas Rao, 36, serving as Grama Palana Officer at Pusugudem Revenue Cluster under the Tahsildar’s Office, Mulakalapalli mandal, was trapped by the ACB’s Khammam Range team at around 11.17 a.m. on October 27. He had demanded ₹20,000 from a complainant and agreed to accept ₹15,000 after negotiation, to facilitate registration of property at Vemukunta village, covering 2 acres and 30 guntas of land.

Investigations revealed that Srinivas Rao had earlier demanded ₹60,000 in total to complete the registration and issue of land passbooks. On October 22, he reportedly received ₹30,000 through UPI and ₹10,000 in cash. The remaining amount of ₹20,000 was reduced to ₹15,000, which he accepted on Monday, leading to his arrest. The tainted amount was recovered from his possession.

Officials said the accused had acted dishonestly to gain undue financial advantage. He has been arrested and produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases, Warangal. The case remains under investigation, and the complainant’s identity has been withheld for security reasons.

The ACB urged the public to report any demand for bribes by government officials by dialling the toll-free number 1064 or contacting them via WhatsApp on 9440446106. They can also reach ACB Telangana through social media on Facebook (Telangana ACB) and X (@TelanganaACB). Authorities assured that the identities of complainants would be kept confidential.