People celebrate with firecrackers after ACB traps panchayat secretary

Celebrations broke out in Challur village of Veenavanka mandal, Karimnagar district, on Friday after Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials arrested the local panchayat secretary while accepting a bribe.

Residents burst firecrackers to mark the arrest, hailing it as a long-awaited action against corruption.

The accused, Kumabam Nagaraju, panchayat secretary grade-I, was trapped by the ACB Karimnagar unit after demanding and accepting ₹20,000 from a complainant in exchange for allotting a house number to a newly constructed residence.

Officials said the tainted money was recovered from his possession during the operation.

The ACB stated that Nagaraju had abused his position to obtain undue advantage and performed his duties dishonestly. He was arrested and produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB cases in Karimnagar. The case remains under investigation, while the complainant’s identity has been withheld for security reasons.

The ACB has urged citizens to report demands for bribes through its toll-free helpline 1064 or via WhatsApp and social media platforms, assuring that complainants’ details would be kept confidential.