ACB raids Andhra official, unearths assets worth more than Rs 100 cr and counting

15 ACB teams conducted rains and found properties in Visakhapatnam, Chittoor, Hyderabad and Shirdi.

news Corruption

Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday unearthed assets worth over Rs 100 crore held by a senior government official, its officials said.

Town Planning Department Director Golla Venkata Raghu allegedly amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

As many as 15 ACB teams conducted raids at various places in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, and searches were continuing at properties belonging to the office in Mangalagiri, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Chittoor and Hyderabad.

Raghu served in various positions in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Greater Vizag Municipal Corporation.

ACB sources said the total value of assets would be known after opening the bank lockers of Raghu and his family members.

The anti-graft agency recovered Rs 10 lakh cash from Raghu's house in Mangalagiri in Guntur district. Houses and prime residential plots were identified in the name of the official and his family members in Vijayawada and Guntur.

The officials also found properties in Visakhapatnam, Chittoor, Hyderabad and at Maharashtra's pilgrim town of Shirdi.

According to reports, ACB officials also raided the properties of Andhra Pradesh Town & Country Planning officer NV Siva Prasad.

Speaking to India Today a top ACB officer said, "This should be a big catch as both cases are related to each other. Cash worth Rs 50 lakhs, gold and diamond jewellery of about 8 kgs worth Rs. 5 to 6 crore and several documents related to properties and companies were found during the raids."

Quoting sources, TOI reported that the link between the two accused officers was that Raghu and Siva Prasad became close family friends when working together in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in 2003.