Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau caught a Forest Beat Officer and his associate in a Kothagudem ACB trap on Thursday over an alleged Rs 30,000 bribe. The money was allegedly demanded for extending undue favour concerning podu cultivation.
The ACB identified the accused officer as Banoth Ravi Kumar, Forest Beat Officer of Kachanapally Beat. He was also serving as in-charge of Ramanujagudem Beat in Allapally mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
According to the ACB, Ravi Kumar allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 from the complainant. In return, he allegedly offered not to obstruct podu cultivation or initiate measures such as digging trenches.
Kothagudem ACB trap nets officer’s associate
The Forest Beat Officer allegedly instructed the complainant to hand over the money to his associate, Patan Sadiq Khan. The officer would collect the amount from him later, according to the ACB.
Acting on the complaint, ACB officials arranged a trap. The complainant then handed over the tainted Rs 30,000 to Sadiq Khan at his residence in Ramanujagudem village. Officials subsequently recovered the amount during the trap proceedings.
The ACB said a chemical test conducted on Sadiq Khan’s hands returned positive results. The agency alleged that this supported its case that he had accepted the money on behalf of the Forest Beat Officer.
Both accused arrested
ACB officials took Ravi Kumar and Sadiq Khan into custody and arrested them. They will be produced before the Special Judge concerned for SPE and ACB Cases.
The agency said the case remained under investigation. Authorities withheld the complainant’s identity for security reasons. The allegations against the accused remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.