HYDERABAD: A city court granted eight-day custody of former Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) director (town planning) Shiva Balakrishna to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday. The ACB had sought custody for questioning Balakrishna, who is facing charges of corruption. The principal secretary also issued orders on Tuesday suspending the officer.
The ACB initiated action against Balakrishna based on allegations that he amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure at the HMDA. Teams conducted raids at his residence and other linked locations and seized cash, gold and silver ornaments, expensive watches and land documents. After the accused was arrested on January 24, the ACB sought his custody for questioning. As per the court order, the eight-day-long custody period starts on January 31.
According to sources, the ACB sleuths are likely to question him about the alleged corruption racket and regarding the source and nature of his illegal assets. Additional charges are expected to be filed against him based on the findings of the ongoing investigation, they added.
The accused was a high-ranking member of the HMDA and was later appointed the chief general manager for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited and the secretary of TS RERA. During the raids, Rs 84 lakh in cash, 800 grams of gold ornaments, Rs 33 lakh worth of watches among other items were seized, the ACB added.
The accused officer was placed under suspension according to Telangana State Civil Services (Classification Control and Appeal) Rules and will be paid with subsistence allowance during the suspension period.