Dirty dozen caught on camera

Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) personnel of Adilabad district conducted sting operation on 10 government employees including officers of five departments.

They were caught on hidden camera used by complainant on behalf of the ACB few days before the Diwali festival in Mancherial town in Adilabad district.

This is first- of- its kind incident that took place in the state in which 10 government employees were caught demanding bribes.   

But the ACB officials have not filed charge sheet till now and waiting for instructions for higher ups and permission from the state government. ACB officials of the Adilabad submitted detailed report to ACB Director General A. K Khan who in return wrote a letters to the heads of the accused officials to take stern action against them. 

The ACB officials filed FIR NO: 12 RCO/-ACB-Adb/2015 in the ACB court of Karimnagar on November16.  

As many as 12 ACB cases have been booked against corrupt government employees so far in the year 2015 in the district and among them are from Transco, Government doctor and Panchayatraj and Revenue departments.

Adilabad ACB officials led by DSP Boda Papalal conducted sting operation on officials of Fire Services, Revenue, Electricity, Police and Municipality who demanded the owners of the crackers shops for issuing permission to set up shops for Diwali festival in Mancherial.

Boda Papalal said ‘the complainant representing the owners of the 20 crackers shops directly approached the Deputy Director of ACB and lodged a complaint against the officials of the five departments who demanded him money to issue licenses to put up crackers shops few days before the Diwali’.

He said ‘top ACB officials instructed him to look into the matter secretly and subsequently they conducted sting operation on the officers facing allegations including CC to Mancherial RDO, Sanitary inspector,  Fire office, Deputy Tahsildar, Revenue Inspector, writer to Circle Inspector in Mancherial police station and Transco Assistant Engineer.

According to sources, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) is waiting for the permission from the state government to proceed further and file charge sheet because of gravity of the incident and more officials involved in it.

ACB officials say that complainant gave bribe ranging Rs10,000 to Rs 50,000 to each officer for issuing license to establish crackers shops in the Mancherial town for Diwali.