Property worth Rs 5 crore unearthed in ACB raids on Bheemili tahsildar

According to Anti-Corruption Bureau officials, while four places were raided in Visakhapatnam, two in Hyderabad and one in Rajamahendravaram.
ACB officials examining properties of Bheemili Tahasildar B T V Rama Rao in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday | Express
ACB officials examining properties of Bheemili Tahasildar B T V Rama Rao in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday | Express

VISAKHAPATNAM: Officials of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday raided the houses and properties of Bheemili tahsildar BTV Rama Rao at various places in AP and Telangana on the charges of amassing properties disproportionate to his known sources of income. The officials unearthed around Rs 5 crore disproportionate assets and have taken the accused into their custody.

According to ACB officials, while four places were raided in Visakhapatnam, two in Hyderabad and one in Rajamahendravaram.

On day one, the documents seized included a three-storey house at Akkayyapalem, one house on 150 sq yds and a site measuring 222 sq yds at Vepagunta, two apartments at Narasimha Nagar, two floors of commercial space at Kapparada and some properties at Butchirajupalem in the city.

The ACB also unearthed two apartments in the names of his two sons-in-law in Hyderabad. When it comes to liquid cash, Rs 13.4 lakh was seized from his house at Chekkudurai building area at Akkayapalem here and Rs 28.97 lakh from the house of his elder son-in-law at Rajamahendravaram.

Besides, the officials also found Rs 56 lakh bank balance which was in the names of the officer and his family members. At the officer’s house at Akkayapalaem, the officials unearthed one kg gold, while at sons-in-law’s houses in Rajamahendravaram and Hyderabad, they unearthed  1,378 grams of gold. Around 250 grams of gold, including gold biscuits, fixed deposits to the tune of Rs 30 lakh and bonds worth Rs 5 lakh were unearthed from the four lockers in the banks. The total seized property is around Rs 5 crore.

It was learnt that Rama Rao had joined the department as stenographer in 1986 and gradually became deputy tahsildar in 2011. According to sources, Rama Rao used to make money mostly by taking bribes for pattadar passbooks from land owners. He used to demand Rs 50,000 to 60,000 for a pattadar passbook.

The tahsildar maintained an office in the basement of his house at Akkayyapalem, from where he operated his bribe dealings. The ACB during their raid found over 200 pattadar passbooks in his office which the officer is yet to disburse.

Sources said that the tainted officer used to tamper with the official  government website on lands to make money. The officer used to change the name of the owner to create problem. Then he sought money from the owner to rectify it, added a source. The ACB officials also came to know about all his tricks and are investigating the case from all angles.

Woman comes with bribe
While the raid was underway, a woman came to the house of the officer to offer Rs 30,000 as bribe money for some favour.

ACB DSP Ramakrishna Prasad said that they would book this case also under Section 7 of the AP Corruption Act.

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