Digital bribe payments, illegal registrations exposed in ACB raids in Mancherial

ACB officials conducted surprise inspections in the Mancherial Sub-Registrar’s office and seized unaccounted cash while uncovering bribery through digital payments. Several staff members were absent, suspicious registrations came to light and document writers closed shops during the checks, raising further concerns.

Mancherial: Surprise checks by the Anti-Corruption Bureau at the Mancherial Sub-Registrar’s office have exposed a series of irregularities in the Stamps and Registrations department.

ACB officials carried out simultaneous inspections in the offices of Gandipet, Serilingampalli, Medchal, Nizamabad, Zaheerabad, Miryalaguda, Wanaparthy, Mancherial, Peddapalli and Bhupalpally Sub-Registrars on the evening of November 16. The raids followed widespread allegations of bribery against staff. Officials said unaccounted cash of Rs.2.51 lakh was seized during the inspections.

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“During the checks, staff members were found indulging in wrongdoings. For instance, they were accepting bribes through digital payment applications such as PhonePe and Google Pay. One staffer received Rs.70,000 from a person to register an asset and failed to provide clarity on the transaction,” an ACB official said.

Officials said four staffers, including two outsourced employees, were absent at the time of the inspections and reportedly skipped duty to evade action. Only two staff members were found on duty during the checks. The ACB has submitted a report to higher authorities, seeking action against the errant employees.

The Mancherial unit has also seen suspicious registrations in recent years, with many involving properties developed in illegal layouts. Officials suspect that these registrations were processed in violation of civic orders and facilitated through bribes.

Meanwhile, document writers shut their shops during the inspections, raising suspicion among officials. The closure of more than 30 shops surprised ACB teams. Two senior writers are reportedly key mediators who collect bribes from applicants and hand over the money to officials, a source said.