Officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have arrested three officers including Tahsildar and Deputy Tahsildar of Chodavaram, Visakhapatnam district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹4.5 lakh from a person for doing an official favour, here on Thursday.
According to the ACB officials, a man named S. Venkata Rama Krishna, a resident of Chodavaram mandal, approached ACB officials stating that Chodavaram Tahsildar B. Ravi Kumar and Deputy Tahsildar M. Raja demanded ₹4.50 lakh for mutation of 1.65 acres of land in survey number 113 of Narasapuram village in Chodavaram. The land was in the name of J. Venkata Ramana who entered into an agreement with the complainant to sell the land to him. Apart from this, the officials also sought a bribe for conversion of 41 cents of land in survey number 353-2A of Narsayyapeta village which belongs to the complainant, ACB officials said.
Based on the complaint, the ACB officials ascertained facts and laid a trap for the accused. On Thursday, at around 1 p.m., the accused accepted the bribe from the complainant through a man named Ramesh. the Tahsildar’s driver.
The accused officers will be produced before the Court of III ADJ-cum-Special Judge for ACB cases, Visakhapatnam as part of further investigation.
