Hyderabad, April 21: Yet another ‘crorepati’ babu owning huge properties in and around Hyderabad among other places landed in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) net. Interestingly, the tainted official claimed that he and his wife had separated and there was no way properties could be on her name. But the sleuths cornered him with air tickets to Goa, Mumbai where both travelled together recently.
In a major catch, the ACB sleuths today unearthed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 2.83 crore belonging to D Venkateshwar Rao, special officer, urban land ceiling, Visakhapatnam. The market value of the property would be Rs 20 crore.
Simultaneous searches conducted at his office, residences at Vizag, Hyderabad and Khammam revealed that he owned seven flats and seven plots in Hyderabad, two plots in Vizag, one G+2 house at Kukatpally in Hyderabad, 48 acres of dryland in Nalgonda district, 2 acres of land at Visakhapatnam, 1.25 acres of land at Maheshwaram in Rangareddy district. The official value of these immovable properties is to the tune of Rs.1.78 crore.
Besides, the sleuths also found cash worth Rs.50,000, gold ornaments worth Rs.20 lakh, silver ornaments worth Rs.2.60 lakh, one Ford Endeavour car worth Rs.18 lakh, one Royal Enfield motorcycle worth Rs 70,000, investments in real estate in Bangalore and Vizag worth Rs.48 lakh, chits and insurance worth Rs.7,80,000 and household articles worth Rs.5.51 lakh. He also had bank balances of Rs one lakh.Though the ACB put the market value of his assets at more than Rs 5 crore, sources say that it could be over Rs 20 crore.
Venkateswara Rao, in a last minute bid to save some of his properties, claimed that he and his wife have been staying separately for the last four years. ‘’We have even filed a divorce petition in the court,’’ sources said quoting him. Most of his properties were reportedly registered on his wife’s name.
However, during the searches, the sleuths stumbled upon air tickets booked in the name of Venkateshwara Rao and his wife as both had travelled together to Goa and Mumbai. When confronted, Venkateshwara Rao had no reply. ‘’It was an alibi to save some of his properties,’’ sources said adding that the official is being arrested.
–Agencies