ACB catches Zaheerabad officials red-handed accepting Rs. 15,000 bribe for land acquisition

Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested three government officials involved in a bribery case in Zaheerabad, Sangareddy District. The arrested officers include Raja Reddy, Special Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), Satish, Deputy Tahsildar, and Durgaiah, a driver with the National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ), Zaheerabad.

On the afternoon of July 10, 2025, the accused were caught red-handed by the ACB Medak Unit while accepting a bribe of Rs. 15,000 from a complainant. The bribe was allegedly demanded by Satish (AO-2) for processing a land acquisition file for the complainant’s property, located at Huselli village. The file, which had been forwarded to NIMZ, resulted in the complainant receiving a payment of Rs. 52,87,500.

Earlier, Raja Reddy (AO-1) had demanded Rs. 50,000, while Satish (AO-2) requested Rs. 15,000 for processing the file. The bribe was recovered from Satish during the raid, and a chemical test on his left-hand fingers and trouser pocket confirmed the presence of the tainted money.

Additionally, Durgaiah (AO-3), the driver, was found to have demanded Rs. 1,00,000 from the complainant in exchange for completing work related to the complainant’s differently-abled brother, which was pending with higher officials.

The accused officers have been arrested and presented before the Additional Special Judge for SPE & ACB, Nampally, Hyderabad. The case is under further investigation.

For any reports of bribery or corruption, the public can contact the ACB's toll-free number at 1064, or reach out through WhatsApp at 9440446106, Facebook (Telangana ACB), or X (formerly Twitter) @TelanganaACB. The identity of the complainant will be kept confidential.