Two forest officials held by Telangana ACB in Rs 3.5 lakh bribery case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested two forest officials for allegedly accepting a Rs 3.5 lakh bribe from a road contractor in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The officials were caught red-handed during an ACB trap operation and later produced before a court in Warangal.

HYDERABAD: Two forest officials who demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh from a road contractor were caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday.

According to the ACB, Forest Divisional Officer Bhadrachalam, Santhapuri Sujatha and Bhukya Krishna, Deputy Range Officer of Tegada and in-charge Forest Range Officer Charla, demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh initially. Later, after negotiations, they had reduced the amount to Rs 3.5 lakh.

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The ACB laid a trap and caught them red-handed when they collected the bribe amount. The contractor, while laying a 2-kilometre road from Pusuguppa village, Charla mandal, to Chhattisgarh border in Bhadradri Kothagudem, had allegedly caused damage to trees. The officials assured not to disturb him if he paid them the amount.

The ACB arrested the two officials and produced them before the ACB Court in Warangal.