Two officials held, Tehsildar under scanner in Hyderabad land case

Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Sunday continued questioning a government official in a bribery case relating to land valued Rs 50 crore in Hyderabad.

A day after catching a revenue inspector red-handed while taking the bribe and nabbing a sub-inspector of police, the ACB officials continued grilling Tehsildar Ch. Sujatha for a second day.

The anti-graft agency had raided the residence of Sujatha late Saturday and found cash amounting Rs 30 lakh, gold and other valuables. As Tehsildar or Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) of Sheikhpet mandal, she is suspected to have played a key role in the case.

ACB sleuths were questioning Sujatha, Revenue Inspector K. Nagarjuna Reddy and Sub-Inspector of Police A. Ravinder at the ACB office in connection with the land in posh Banjara Hills.

While Reddy and Ravinder are likely to be produced before a magistrate, the ACB is expected to come out with a statement later in the day about the action against Sujatha.

The ACB had caught Reddy red-handed on Saturday while accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh from Syed Abdul Khalid, who owns 4,865 square yards land in Banjara Hills.

Khalid claims that his father had purchased the land in 1969. Since it was declared government land, he had filed a writ petition in the High Court. He had also approached Shaikpet Tehsildhar to conduct a survey in his land and update the same online.

The Tehsildhar had filed two complaints of encroachment against Khalid with the Banjara Hills police station. When he met her, she directed him to meet Reddy, who demanded Rs 30 lakh as a bribe to settle the issue. On a complaint by Khalid, the ACB caught Reddy red-handed near the Tshsildhar's office.

Banjara Hills Sub-Inspector Ravinder, who had demanded Rs 3 lakh from Khalid and accepted Rs 1.5 lakh, was also caught. According to ACB officials the police official had demanded another Rs 3 lakh for closing the two cases, which were booked against Khalid following the complaints from the Tehsildar.

( With inputs from IANS )