Anti-Corruption Bureau unearths RS 100 crore assets from RTA official
VIJAYAWADA: In yet another major raid, sleuths of Central Investigation Unit (CIU) of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) unearthed Rs 4.5 crore disproportionate assets belonging to Pasupuleti Vijaya Bhaskar, motor vehicle inspector (MVI), in Tirupati on Saturday. Though the book value of the assets amounts to Rs 4.5 crore, their market value was estimated at Rs 100 crore. Bhaskar was presently working at Renigunta RTA checkpost in Chittoor district. He was earlier suspended for accepting bribe and a case was also registered against him by the ACB in February 2018 during a surprise raid on the Renigunta checkpost.
The ACB officials conducted raids on Bhaskar’s residence in Tirupati and the houses of his friends and family members at 15 different places in Chittoor, Anantapur, Bengaluru and Chennai. They seized property documents, Rs 7.72 lakh cash, household appliances worth Rs 6 lakh, 350 grams of gold ornaments, 2 kg of silver ornaments and three vehicles. A special team of CIU and 14 teams of Chittoor ACB conducted simultaneous raids at all the places from 8 am.
“While the worth of disproportionate assets is around `4.5 crore (book value), the market price will be much more. The accused officer possessed most of his assets on his wives’ and relatives names,” said an ACB official.During investigation, the ACB officials found that Bhaskar was suspended in 2011 while he was working as assistant motor vehicle inspector (AMVI) at Renigunta after being caught red handed while accepting bribe in a sting operation conducted by a TV channel. Also, he was the prime accused in an RCO case registered against him for the lapses found during surprise check conducted at Renigunta checkpost in February 2018.
Bhaskar registered most of his properties in the names of his family members and benamis. According sources in ACB, the value of properties unearthed during the raids will be pegged at `100 crore as per market value. Two of his bank lockers are yet to be opened.
The ACB officials said Bhaskar began his career as a station fire officer way back in 1993 and later got transferred to the Road Transport Department in 2005 as AMVI. For nine years, from 2005 to 2014, he worked as AMVI in Renigunta, Palamaner and Kadapa DTC office. In 2014, Bhaskar was promoted as MVI and attached to Renigunta RTA checkpost. He was arrested and produced in the ACB court. Further investigation is on.
Movable properties Fixed deposits
L29 lakh in the name of his first wife Bala Tripura Sundari
L53.33 lakh in the name of his second wife Dhana Lakshmi
Six blank and signed cheques (value of `1 cr)
12 promissory notes worth `57 lakh
25 signed promissory notes without value
Bank balance `53 lakh
350 grams of gold jewellery worth `5 lakh
2 kg silver
Honda Activa
Innova and Swift Desire cars worth `29 lakh