ACB faces threat from impostors

Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) is facing a threat from unexpected quarters: fake ACB organizations that are misusing its name for their selfish gains and getting their things done by threatening officials under its guise.

The Mancherial police on Monday arrested two persons K. Venkata Varaprasad and K. Srinivas, and two others who were absconding, who posed as publishers of a non- existing newspaper of ACB and had even ‘recruited’ few persons as staff.

The issue came to light when two youth, posing as ACB officials, asked Mandal surveyor G. Krishnapriya, who was working in local Tahsildar’s office to give a report in their favor with regard to a disputed land or they would expose her corrupt practices to higher level officials.

A person named Olapu Sukesh,37, had sought their help to get this survey report  done in his favor.

When the surveyor refused, pointing out that he had no legal land documents for it, the miscreants summoned her to their office and threatened her with regrettable consequences if she failed them what they wanted.  She became suspicious and reported the matter to the police.        

Police found that some miscreants where resorting to blackmail, their main target being revenue department officials.

They were using the ACB’s credentials and capitalizing on the rise in entrapment cases by threatening officials. They were also ostensibly publishing a newspaper called Anti- Corruption News, in High Teach Colony in Mancherail town and claiming that it was affiliated to the ACB.

Similarly, many associations, masquerading as proponents of human rights, have mushroomed in the Adilabad in the recent, interceding on various issues involving family, land and police and collecting money from both the parties that they were apparently trying to help.

Members such organizations ask the people to come to their office, promising to resolve their problems.

Even top government officials have been attending the meetings or workshops conducted by such organizations as chief guests without neither checking their track record nor authenticity.

The organizations have been prominently displaying hoardings, bearing their photographs, and gullible people have been going to them for help. The police had even arrested a person who claimed to be the president of human rights association and was indulging in extortion in Hyderabad last year.