HYDERABAD: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is seeking custody of a joint director (JD) and an assistant director from the Veterinary department in connection with the sheep distribution scam case.
The names of these two came to light during the interrogation of four other government officials who were previously arrested for exploiting loopholes and helping individuals gain benefit through the scheme.
On Monday, arguments were presented in court regarding the ACB’s request for custody. The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday, with a custody decision expected then.
The ACB is also focusing on identifying and apprehending other officials who may be involved in the scam, said a senior police official.
Earlier, the ACB apprehended D Ravi, the assistant director of Kamareddy Veterinary Hospital, M Aditya Kesava Sai, the assistant director of the animal husbandry department at Medchal, P Raghupathi Reddy, an officer in the Groundwater department in Rangareddy district, and S Ganesh, deputy director of the Adult Education department.
After their questioning in custody, four more, including Anjilappa, Joint Director, of Animal Husbandry Department and District Veterinary, and P Krishnaiah, Assistant Director, of the District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department, shed light into the scam.
The police are looking into the possible involvement of more officials and private individuals. The senior official said, “They violated all the instructions issued for procurement of sheep and involved private persons to procure sheep. Instructions were given by the JD and assistant director to the procurement officers to follow the orders of private persons at the time of buying the sheep.”
Additionally, the two accused officers also allowed the commission of illegal acts where the sheep were procured by government officials without seeing sheep sellers and all the forms to be filled by government officials were filled by employees of private persons, the official added. They also uploaded fake sellers’ details in the department’s online portal at the procurement location, which was carried out by private persons and government officials, the official said.
The ACB officials are awaiting the custody of government officials who are already in judicial custody and hope that their confession will lead to evidence against others who might have been involved in the scam.