VISAKHAPATNAM: Suspended survey inspector Gedela Lakshmi Ganeswara Rao (56), from whom illegal properties together worth around Rs 100 crore were seized during raids on Saturday, continued to amass wealth disproportionate to his known source of income even after four suspensions in the last few years, sources in the Anti-corruption Bureau said on Sunday.
Rao was nabbed by the central investigation unit of the ACB, Vijayawada, during a raid at his house in Suvarna Residency on Rama Talkies Road in Visakhapatnam. The sleuths raided the properties of Rao and his relatives at 18 places in Vizag, Vizianagaram, East Godavari, West Godavari and Hyderabad.
After he was arrested on charges of forging revenue records in August this year, the ACB started focussing on his assets. He has been under the anti-graft body’s scanner ever since a disproportionate assets case was registered against him in 2009.
According to ACB sources, Rao allegedly forged land documents for pecuniary gains and even acted as a benami in many cases. Though he was suspended four times, Rao managed to get plum posts. After the DA case in 2009, the officer was caught once again in 2014 on charges of creating false documents, pattadar passbooks and title deeds for six acres belonging to the Simhachalam Devasthanam in the name K Gollaiah and securing a loan of Rs 34 crore from the SBI, Banjara Hills branch in Hyderabad.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate land grab allegations in Vizag has registered several cases against Rao for his alleged involvement in forgery, tampering of revenue records and land grabbing.
As per SIT officials, the tainted officer, in collusion with the arrested tehsildar M Sankara Rao, had tampered with records to alienate 356 acres of government land worth close to Rs 3,560 crore in Madhurawada, Pardesipalem and PM Palem. He was released on bail last week.
“It shocks us how he has been occupying key positions despite suspensions almost every alternate year. He had worked as deputy surveyor at Jami, Gopalapuram and Dathi Rajeru of Vizianagaram district, in the head office at Srikakulam, as deputy surveyor at Machilipatnam and inspector of survey in Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam and Hyderabad head office. Rao was posted as a survey inspector in Survey and Land Records in Vizianagaram before his fourth suspension,” said a senior ACB official.
The ACB has unearthed movable and immovable assets including five plots, 19 flats, 30.36 acres of agricultural land, a temple under construction, Rs 10 lakh, 1 kg gold, 3.2 kg silver, four cars and two high-end motorbikes. Sources said the ACB officials have also recovered foreign currency and demonetised currency notes during the raids.
Crime record
Gedela Ganeswara Rao was suspended four times almost every alternate year
In 2014, he allegedly created false documents, pattadar passbooks and title deeds for six acres of land belonging to Simhachalam Devasthanam and secured K34 cr loan
This August, SIT registered several cases of forgery, tampering of revenue records and land grab against him
His residence has a mini-theatre