HYDERABAD: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials have revealed that Keesara tahsildar Erva Balaraju Nagaraju invested his ill-gotten money in lands and other immovable assets on names of NRIs who functioned as his benamis. They said that the tahsildar would often settle land disputes in return for generous sums of money.
A preliminary probe has revealed Nagaraju used a rowdy sheeter, who is involved in several offences in three commissionerates — Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda, as one of his benamis.To escape scrutiny by Income Tax officials, Nagaraju developed links with two NRIs and purchased open plots, agriculture lands and other property on their names. ACB officials also said that Nagaraju collected large sums of money in mamools when he was a Deputy Tahsildar in Shameerpet.
A well-known city businessman, who visits foreign countries frequently, had close contacts with Nagaraju and helped the latter launder his ill-gotten money. The ACB is closely scrutinising Nagaraju’s call data records though he changed his SIM cards often after he was once booked in a disproportionate assets case. In order to discuss bribes, he would use a personal number that was taken by an associate, who in turn submitted fake documents.
ACB to seek custody
ACB officials will take soon custody of accused officers — tahsildar Nagaraju, Village Revenue Assistant of Rampally, B Sai Raj, Sri Satya Developers owner Chowla Srinath Yadav and middleman Kandadi Anji Reddy for questioning them in connection with the bribery case. Srinath Yadav and Anji Reddy have told the CBI that they had borrowed the money on interest in order to pay Nagaraju the bribe.