Hyderabad

A Hyderabad Town Planning officer was caught red-handed on Tuesday while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 4 lakh to clear an application under the Land Regularisation Scheme (LRS). The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) apprehended Maniharika, a town planning officer at the Narsingi municipal office, after she demanded Rs 10 lakh from Vinod and was caught accepting part of it. Vinod had filed a complaint with the ACB, which laid a trap to catch her in the act.

The operation was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sridhar, with ACB officials also reviewing past files cleared by the officer. This case adds to a series of recent bribery incidents involving women government officials in Telangana.

On September 4, District Fisheries Officer M. Charitha Reddy was caught accepting Rs 20,000 to approve new members in the Fisheries Co-Operative Society in Nalgonda. Similarly, Tahsildar Chintakindi Lalitha and Mandal Surveyor Kota Ravi were caught taking Rs 50,000 of a demanded Rs 1 lakh to complete land registration and correct errors in land records in Ranga Reddy district.

Earlier, Junior Assistant K. Sujatha in Vikarabad was caught taking Rs 15,000 to process land documents, while Assistant Labour Officer Paka Sukanya and her assistant Mokinepalli Rajeshwari in Mancherial district were caught accepting Rs 30,000 to process a natural death claim and funeral charges.

These cases highlight the ACB’s continued efforts to curb corruption among government officials, ensuring accountability and transparency in public service.