VISAKHAPATNAM: Sleuths of the ACB Central Investigation Unit on Saturday conducted simultaneous searches on the properties of suspended Vizianagaram survey inspector Gedela Lakshmi Ganeswar Rao and his relatives, unearthing properties worth `100 crore (market value) disproportionate to his known source of income. Rao has been arrested and soon produced before an ACB court.
The searches began around 6.30 am at 18 locations in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, East Godavari, West Godavari districts and Hyderabad and continued till late in the evening. Ganeswar Rao, 56, a native of Mondemkhallu village of Kurupam mandal in Vizianagaram district, is survey inspector at the office of assistant director, Land and Survey, Vizianagaram. He was suspended on charges of tampering with revenue records pertaining to lands worth `3,600 crore and issuing pattadar passbooks in the name of benamis for pecuniary gains. Searches were also conducted at his house on Rama Talkies Road in Visakhapatnam.
The assets, including agriculture lands, houses, house sites, cash, gold, silver, vehicles and others items, together will easily be in excess of `100 crore (market value).
The assets unearthed includes several flats and plots in the names of Rao, his wife and sons Vijaya Sekhar and Raja Sekhar.The seized properties also includes three flats in his benami G Satyanarayana’s name. Three four wheelers (Swift, Innova and Volvo cars), `50,000 and documents of a bank balance of `10 lakh also tumbled out during the raids. More than 3 kg gold, silver articles and ornaments were also recovered from the house.
When the officials went to Rao’s flat on the third floor of Suvarna Residency at 6.30 am, the family refused to open the main door for a long time. When they finally did, they stopped the officials from searching the house, at one point even letting loose their two dogs on the team. It was only after the DSP warned them of dire consequences that they finally let the sleuths, who by then sought protection from cops, attend to their duties. Director General (DG) of ACB RP Thakur in a press release said Rao, was arrested by the city police for tampering with government land documents worth `3,600 crore a few months back. He was suspended thereafter.
Rao, a native of Mondemkhallu village of Kurupam mandal in Vizianagaram district, joined the Survey & Land Records Department as a Deputy Surveyor for a modest salary three decades back and rose to the level of an inspector. He has previously been suspended four times over allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.