Hyderabad: Excise officer assets case took a major turn after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a disproportionate assets case against Kommuri Mallareddy, District Prohibition and Excise Officer (Excise Superintendent), Nizamabad, alleging that he amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income through corrupt practices.
The ACB conducted simultaneous searches at 11 locations linked to the officer, his relatives, benamis and associates. The raids were carried out as part of an investigation into alleged accumulation of assets disproportionate to his lawful income.
During the searches, officials detected four residential houses, one commercial building, eight open plots and 10.23 acres of agricultural land. Investigators also seized cash amounting to about Rs.3.31 lakh.
The agency identified bank balances of around Rs.50 lakh and found three bank lockers held in the names of the officer’s wife and other family members. Officials said the lockers would be opened during the ongoing investigation.
Excise officer assets case reveals multiple properties
The searches also led to the detection of a Grand Vitara car and a scooty. According to the ACB, the total value of the assets identified so far is estimated at around Rs.3 crore.
Officials said the market value of the immovable properties could be significantly higher than the preliminary estimate. Further verification of additional assets is currently underway.
The case has been registered under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Meanwhile, the accused officer is being produced before the Special ACB Court in Hyderabad for judicial remand.
The ACB also appealed to citizens to report corruption through its toll-free helpline 1064 and assist efforts to curb corrupt practices in public offices.