The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Abdullapurmet mandal surveyor Batuka Srinivasulu and tahsildar B. Sudershan Reddy on Monday while they were allegedly accepting Rs 20 lakh for conducting a survey and issuing a joint inspection survey report for a layout under Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority guidelines.
According to the ACB, the officials had initially demanded Rs 23 lakh from the party seeking the survey report, but later settled for Rs 20 lakh. The party lodged a complaint with the bureau, which registered a case and organised an operation to catch the officials.
The alleged transaction relates to a layout requiring a survey and joint inspection report under HMDA guidelines. Such reports form part of the administrative process through which land and layout proposals are examined before they move through the relevant planning and approval procedures.
The ACB said the bribe money was recovered from Srinivasulu at his instance. The surveyor also tested positive for the chemically marked notes used during the operation, according to the bureau. The agency did not disclose the identity of the complainant, citing security reasons.
The case places two levels of local land administration under scrutiny: the mandal survey office, which handles land measurement and related records, and the tahsildar’s office, which exercises revenue administration responsibilities. Their alleged involvement has raised questions about the vulnerability of approval-linked processes where applicants depend on official surveys and inspection reports.
The ACB said Srinivasulu and Sudershan Reddy were produced before the Principal Special Judge for SPE and ACB cases at Nampally. Further proceedings in the case will determine the charges and evidence against the accused officials. The allegations remain subject to the judicial process.
