VIJAYAWADA: As part of its nationwide crackdown on corruption, criminal misconduct and other cases, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried out searches at the residence of former Enforcement Directorate (ED) official Bollineni Srinivasa Gandhi, who probed the alleged disproportionate assets cases against YSRC president and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The official is currently working as superintendent in the Anti Evasion Wing of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Hyderabad.
During the raids in Vijayawada and Hyderabad, CBI officials unearthed alleged disproportionate assets worth over Rs 3.74 crore in the name of the official and his family members. Srinivasa Gandhi, during his 13-year-long tenure with the ED, had probed several high-profile cases, including disproportionate assets cases against Jagan Mohan Reddy.
In fact, Jagan in 2017 had lodged a complaint with Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the ED and a section of officials, including Srinivasa Gandhi, were acting against him in a vindictive manner at the behest of the then TDP government.
Srinivasa Gandhi was said to have been close to the powers that be during his tenure in the ED and was said to have attached properties of Jagan in various cases.
In its FIR, the CBI said Srinivasa Gandhi had joined the ED in 2004 and remained in the department till 2017. “During the period from January 1, 2010, to June 2, 2019, Srinivasa Gandhi acquired most of the movable and immovable assets in his name and in the name of his family members,’’ the FIR said.
Prior to January 1, 2010, Srinivasa Gandhi had assets worth Rs 21 lakh (both movable and immovable) in his name and those of his family members. However, by the end of June 2, 2019, the official came into possession of movable and immovable assets worth more than Rs 2.74 crore. He had spent approximately Rs 2.51 crore during the same period (Jan 1, 2010, to June 2, 2019) for the education of his daughters, construction of a residential building at Kukatpally in Hyderabad and for buying jewellery items and other valuables.
He paid Rs 70 lakh for her daughter’s medical seat in Ramachandra University, Chennai. However, his income during the period was only Rs 1.30 crore.
“Prima facie it was found that Srinivasa Gandhi intentionally enriched himself illicitly to the tune of Rs 3.74 crore during Jan 1, 2010, to June 2, 2019, which cannot be satisfactorily accounted for,’’ the FIR signed by DIG of the ACB unit of CBI, Hyderabad, V Chandrasekhar said. The CBI officials registered cases against Srinivasa Gandhi under sections 13(2) read with 13 (10)(b) of Prevention of Corruption Act and also against his wife Sireesha under Section 109 of IPC.
Who is Srinivasa Gandhi?
Srinivasa Gandhi joined the Central Excise department on April 27, 1992, and got promotion as superintendent in 2002 and posted at Hyderabad Commissionerate-I. He later went on deputation to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2003 and from there to the ED in 2004. He was with the ED till 2017.
