The Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested Abdullapurmet tahsildar B. Sudershan Reddy and mandal surveyor Batuka Srinivasulu for allegedly accepting a ₹20 lakh bribe linked to a survey and joint inspection report for a layout being processed under Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority guidelines.
The arrests took place on Monday after the party from whom the money was allegedly demanded approached the ACB, according to the bureau. The ACB said the officials had initially demanded ₹23 lakh before allegedly settling for ₹20 lakh.
The alleged payment was connected to the conduct of a survey and the issuance of a joint inspection survey report. Such reports form part of the administrative process for examining land and layout-related proposals under applicable planning requirements. The case therefore involves the interface between local revenue administration and the approval framework governing development in the Hyderabad metropolitan region.
According to the ACB, the operation was mounted after it registered a case based on the complaint. The bureau said the bribe money was recovered from Srinivasulu at his instance. He also tested positive for the chemically marked notes used during the operation, the agency said.
The ACB identified the arrested officials as Srinivasulu, the mandal surveyor, and Sudershan Reddy, the tahsildar of Abdullapurmet. The bureau has not disclosed the identity of the complainant, citing security reasons.
The case highlights the role of field-level officials in land surveys and inspection processes that can affect whether layouts move forward within the metropolitan planning system. While the alleged demand concerned one layout, the investigation will determine the specific actions attributed to each official and whether any other person was involved.
The ACB said both accused officials were produced before the Principal Special Judge for Special Police Establishment and Anti-Corruption Bureau cases at Nampally. Further proceedings will take place before the court.
