Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau booked two Nagarkurnool forest officials over an alleged ₹50,000 bribe collected after threatening to register a forest case and seize bullock carts.
The accused were identified as Forest Section Officer Ram Babu, listed as A1, and Forest Beat Officer Murali Krishna, listed as A2. Both officials worked at the Lingala Forest Office in Nagarkurnool district.
According to the ACB, the forest officials bribe case stemmed from an incident on July 23, 2026. The accused allegedly intercepted the complainant and others while they were transporting wood from the Nallamala Forest.
The officials allegedly threatened to register a forest case against them. They also threatened to seize their bullock carts unless they paid a bribe, the ACB said.
Forest officials bribe demand allegedly began at ₹1.20 lakh
The ACB alleged that the two officials initially demanded ₹1.20 lakh from the complainant. However, the alleged demand was subsequently reduced to ₹50,000.
The complainant allegedly transferred ₹28,000 through PhonePe. In addition, he allegedly paid the remaining ₹22,000 in cash to the officials. The two payments together amounted to the alleged ₹50,000 bribe.
Subsequently, the officials allegedly demanded another ₹6,000 for issuing an official receipt, according to the ACB. The agency accused the officials of acting improperly and dishonestly while discharging their official duties. It alleged that they sought an undue advantage for themselves.
Forest officials bribe case under investigation
The ACB said both accused officials were being produced before the Additional Special Judge for SPE and ACB cases at Nampally. The agency sought their judicial remand, while further investigation into the forest officials bribe case continued.
Authorities withheld the complainant’s identity for security reasons. The ACB also urged people to report demands for bribes by public servants. Members of the public could contact the anti-corruption agency through its 1064 helpline.