Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Saturday arrested District Revenue Officer (DRO) in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu. The DRO was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh when the ACB raided Palnadu District Collector’s
office.
ACB officials reported that Murali had allegedly demanded a bribe for approving catering bills. A complaint was lodged, indicating that he sought illegal gratification for clearing catering bills amounting to Rs 26 lakh. Acting on the complaint, the ACB set up a trap and caught the officer in the act of receiving the bribe.
ACB Additional SP Guntur Mahindra Matthe stated, “The raid pertains to Sagarmata Catering Services, which provided 41,000 meal parcels during the ex-Chief Minister’s programme in 2023. The total bills amounted to around Rs 37 lakh, of which Rs 10 lakh was given in advance. For the remaining Rs 26 lakh, a cheque was to be released. In the process of approving and releasing this cheque, District Revenue Officer of Palnadu, DRO Yeka Murali, demanded and accepted Rs 3 lakh as a bribe.”
Matthe added, “Our team caught him red-handed while he was accepting the bribe, following the guidance of our ACB DG Atul Singh. If the charges are proved, he will be arrested and presented before the judge.”
Further investigation is currently underway.
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