Searches against Telangana govt engineer ‘uncover Rs 2.18 crore cash, properties worth crores more’

Searches were conducted at the house of the accused official and 10 other locations, including properties owned by him and his relatives, on Tuesday. “During the searches, one flat, one six-storeyed building, one company under the name of Amthar Chemicals in 10 acres of land, six prime residential plots in Hyderabad, one (plot of) farmland, two four-wheelers, gold ornaments, and bank deposits were uncovered,” the ACB said in a statement issued Tuesday.

According to the ACB, the searches revealed that the accused officer had acquired the assets, including cash, allegedly by abusing his official powers. “On Tuesday evening, searches were still ongoing. The accused was arrested,” the ACB statement read.

The ACB has registered a case of disproportionate assets against the accused official.

The value of the assets have not yet been finalised. “It could be well above the market value,” the ACB statement read.

However, an ACB official, who spoke to The Indian Express on the condition of anonymity, said that as per the value assigned by the government, the properties could be valued at Rs 6.5 crore. “The market value of the properties could be 10 times higher,” the official said.

Apart from the properties and cash, the ACB has also recovered Rs 75 lakh in bank deposits and Rs 36 lakh in Demat accounts.