Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) red-handed while accepting a bribe at the Mulakalapalli Tahsildar office in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Monday. Khammam ACB DSP Y. Ramesh led the operation with his team.
According to officials, VAO Banoth Srinivas Naik demanded ₹60,000 from a farmer in Poosugudem village to process his agricultural land registration. He had already taken ₹40,000 earlier. When he accepted the remaining ₹15,000, ACB officers moved in and arrested him.
VAO caught taking bribe during land registration deal
The ACB team acted after receiving a formal complaint from the victim. Officers planned the trap carefully and monitored the transaction at the Tahsildar office. Once Srinivas Naik collected the bribe amount, they confronted him on the spot and seized the cash.
Officials said Naik previously worked as a Village Revenue Officer (VRO) in Burgampadu mandal. During that posting, several complaints of corruption had surfaced against him.
ACB begins full investigation into corruption links
After the arrest, ACB registered a corruption case against Srinivas Naik. Investigators began examining his previous postings to trace other possible offences. They also questioned him to identify if any officials had assisted him.
The ACB team collected the evidence and submitted it for further verification. Officers said they would produce Naik before court once the preliminary probe concludes.