Hyderabad: Officials of the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday, July 22, conducted simultaneous searches at the residence, office and other properties linked to Mutyam Venkat Ramana, a Deputy Engineer (DE) of Telangana TRANSCO who is currently working on deputation at the Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited (TGREDCO).
The ACB City Range-2 registered the case against Ramana alleging that he acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income through corrupt practices and dubious means during his service.
ACB officials identified four residential flats at Serilingampally and Kukatpally valued at Rs 1.23 crore, a G+3 commercial building at Anjaneya Nagar, Kukatpally, valued at Rs 1.82 crore, and a G+5 commercial building at Guttala Begumpet village in GHMC Serilingampally valued at Rs 2.90 crore.
Ramana allegedly made major investments in the construction sector through four construction firms registered in the name of his wife. ACB officials said he had constructed 10 residential apartments at Anjaneya Nagar, Moosapet, Kukatpally, with an estimated investment of around Rs 20 crore. The market value of these properties is expected to be much higher than the official valuation.
The searches led to the detection of bank balances of Rs 52.02 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 2,094 grams valued at around Rs 40 lakh, three vehicles including Kia, Mahindra and Baleno valued at approximately Rs 45 lakh, household articles and electronic gadgets worth Rs 30 lakh, and 20 liquor bottles valued at around Rs 2.50 lakh. A case regarding the liquor bottles was registered by the Madhapur Excise Department.
Including the assets detected during the latest searches and those found in the earlier trap case of 2019, the ACB estimated the officer’s total assets at around Rs 28.14 crore.
Earlier, in December 2019, while working as Divisional Engineer (Technical) in the Office of the Superintending Engineer (Operations), Cyber City Circle, Hyderabad, Ramana was allegedly caught by the ACB while demanding and accepting a Rs 25,000 bribe to process a final estimation approval file. He was arrested on December 13, 2019, and the charge sheet was filed in the case.
During the 2019 trap searches, ACB officials had seized Rs 26.52 lakh cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 22.60 lakh.
Based on the case registered under Section 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), ACB teams conducted searches at his residence, office and seven other locations linked to his relatives, associates and alleged benamidars.
The officer will be produced before the Principal Special Judge for SPE & ACB cases at Hyderabad for judicial remand. The case is under investigation.
The searches were launched following allegations that the official had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Several ACB teams carried out raids at his house, office and properties allegedly owned by his relatives and benamis at multiple locations.
