HYDERABAD: In a major development, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Tuesday found Rs 3.75 crore unaccounted cash with the benamis of former Insurance Medical Services director Devika Rani and Rs 72 lakh from ESI pharmacist Naga Lakshmi. Both the accused obtained the cash totalling Rs 4,47,30,000 through mamools and purchased open plots through benamis.
ACB officials said they recovered Rs 3,75,30,000 in cash belonging to Devika Rani. Similarly, cash worth Rs 72 lakh which was retrieved belongs to Naga Lakshmi.
Both women purchased plots mainly in Cyberabad. They even set up a real estate company under their benamis, which has been seized.
“The accused purchased six residential flats, each measuring 1,500 square feet and commercial properties on the names of their family members. Devika Rani had paid Rs 2.29 crore by cheque and handed over the remaining cash to her benamis and relatives. All the seized cash amounting to Rs 4,47,30,000 was unaccounted for,” the ACB officials said.
The cash was handed over to Income Tax Department officials for further investigation. The ACB officials are likely to take accused Devika Rani and Naga Lakshmi into custody for questioning with regard to the large amount of cash.
Earlier, the ACB registered cases and arrested over 30 persons, including Devika Rani and Naga Lakshmi for their role in irregularities in purchasing medicine indents. They obtained medicines from different pharma units at higher prices by collecting mamools.
Accused bought land, say investigators
Both the accused in the ESI scam, Devika Rani and Naga Lakshmi, obtained the cash totalling Rs 4,47,30,000 through mamools and purchased open plots through benamis. They purchased plots mainly
in Cyberabad and set up a real estate company under their benamis