Hyderabad, July 17: In a major catch, a senior official of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was caught with disproportionate assets worth more than Rs 1 crore in the city on Thursday.
The official invested a large part of his ‘income’ in land and was found to be possession of houses at upmarket localities like Banjara Hills and Ameerpet, several plots in the city outskirts and gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh. Though the documentary value of the property is Rs 1.2 crore, the market value of the property is estimated to be over Rs 15 crore.
The official caught with the assets is the Additional Chief City Planner, GHMC, Katta Purushotham Reddy.
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials conducted searches at Purushotham Reddy’s palatial house at Sagar Society in Banjara Hills on Thursday morning.
Simultaneous searches were carried out on the houses of his friends and relatives at Habsiguda, Prashantinagar and Banjara Hills.
Purushotham Reddy’s investment on immovable property includes seven plots (two in Chandanagar and other at Guttala Begumpet, Nallagandla and Shamirpet in Rangareddy district), four houses (including a three-storeyed building in Banjara Hills and one each at Madhapur, Moosapet and Ameerpet), a flat in Ameerpet and 4.5 acre of agricultural land at Maheswaram mandal in Rangareddy district. “The residence of Purushotham Reddy itself is a palatial one and is worth more than Rs 1 crore,” an ACB official said adding that the house was furnished with costly items.
“The immovable assets are worth several crores,” A R Srinivas, joint director (Telangana region) said.
Apart from these, the official was in possession of a Ford Fiesta car, 1.5 kilo of gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh, Rs 16 lakh in cash, bank
balance of Rs 7 lakh in various banks and household articles worth Rs 7 lakh.
ACB officials said the searches were conducted following complaints of misuse of office by Purushotham Reddy in granting permissions and regularising plots. Purushotham Reddy would be arrested and produced before a special court for ACB cases in the city.
–Agencies–