The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana has caught a Deputy Tahsildar posted at the Keesara Mandal Revenue Office while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2.50 lakh for processing land-related official work, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle.
The official, identified as Sandeep Reddy, was apprehended during a trap operation at the Tahsildar office on Thursday. The ACB action followed a complaint from a person who allegedly faced a demand for money in connection with a land-related matter and approached the agency after being unable to pay the amount.
According to the report, the ACB laid the trap at the Keesara Mandal Revenue Office and caught the Deputy Tahsildar while he was accepting the cash. The operation places a revenue-office transaction at the centre of the case, underlining the role of such offices in processing land and property-related applications for residents and other stakeholders.
The Keesara mandal is part of Medchal-Malkajgiri district, within the wider urbanising region around Hyderabad. Revenue offices handle administrative processes connected with land records and related applications, making their functioning significant for property owners, applicants and residents seeking official decisions. The report, however, does not provide details of the specific land-related work involved in the alleged demand.
Following the arrest, ACB officials began searches at the Keesara Mandal Revenue Office. The agency is also investigating whether other people were involved in the alleged bribery case. No further details about possible additional suspects or the precise administrative process under examination were available in the report.
The case remains an allegation at this stage, with the ACB investigation continuing. The report does not state whether the official has been formally charged in court, nor does it provide details of any departmental action by the revenue authorities.
The operation is the latest instance in which an anti-corruption trap has focused on an interaction between a citizen and a government office handling land-related work. Such cases can affect the time, cost and predictability of property administration, although the available report does not establish whether the alleged demand was part of a wider pattern at the Keesara office.
Further details are awaited as the ACB continues its searches and investigation into the alleged bribe demand and whether other persons were involved.
