VIJAYAWADA: Continuing their searches as part of the disproportionate assets (DA) case registered against Karadu Narasimha Reddy, a peon at the office of the Deputy Transport Commissioner (DTC) in Nellore, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials opened his two bank lockers on Wednesday and found 3.5 kg gold ornaments, 7.13 kg silver ornaments and fixed deposit documents for Rs 2 lakh. The ACB officials on Tuesday found the peon in possession of about Rs 100-crore assets when they raided the house of Narasimha Reddy in Nellore.
When ACB officials opened the first locker registered in the names of Narasimha Reddy and his wife Hari Priya at District Co-operative Central Bank in Nellore, they found gold ornaments and diamond-studded jewellery weighing about 2.32 kg. Similarly, when the second locker belonging to Reddy’s daughter and his his son-in-law at the City Union Bank’s branch was opened, the officials found 1.135 kg gold ornaments and 7.13 kg silver ornaments in it. “Gold and silver ornaments kept in both the bank lockers were gifted to his daughter by Narasimha Reddy at the time of her marriage. We seized all the ornaments and recorded their statements,” said Central Investigation Unit (CIU) DSP A Ramadevi.
Meanwhile, ACB officials investigating the case from all angles. They are said to be focusing on identification of persons who had helped the peon to make a fortune through corrupt practices. It is suspected that Reddy maintained close contacts with officers who had worked at the office earlier.
“A case was registered against Narasimha Reddy on charges of corruption during a surprise raid at Tada check-post in 1998. After the charges were proved, the department had punished him by stopping annual increments for two successive years. A Motor Vehicle Inspector and a police constable were also indicted in the case,” she added.Narisimha Reddy was arrested and produced in a court at Nellore following which he was remanded in judicial custody.