ACB award for clues on corrupt babus

He was found strolling alone at Suryalanka beach in Bapatla town, when the local police identified him and alerted higher cops.

The Telangana AntiCorruption Bureau announced a reward to track down HMDS director (planning) K. Purshotham Reddy, who was booked under a disproportionate assets case. Four teams were set up to nab him.

On Saturday, the ACB visited the HMDA office at Tarnaka to question Reddy, his staff and colleagues. The ACB also informed Reddy’s relatives to ask him to surrender as searches had to be conducted in the presence of the officer and no additional sections under Prevention of Corruption Act would be imposed for absconding.

Ashok Kumar, district superintendent of police, said, “The staff and colleagues at HMDA office were questioned, the four teams reached out to close friends of the accused. However, no further lead emerged so far.

Purshotham’s younger daughter is studying in Dubai; we are trying to track her. Purshotham, his wife, brother-in-law Srinivas Reddy and his wife and mother-in-law have been absconding since Friday. Both their residences which were found to be locked before the raids have been seized. Searches will be conducted in the presence of the accused.”

Source said Reddy was aware of the complaints filed against him with the ACB and sensed raids. Prior to the raids, the ACB investigated into several complaints against him, especially harassing for bribe especially in layout approvals.

The accused was aware how the system operated, as he was earlier booked in 2009 for corrupt practices. But that case was dropped by the government in 2012.

ACB sleuths on Friday carried out searches at properties owned by Reddy’s relatives as his house at Sagar Society in Banjara Hills was found locked.

The ACB unearthed properties of market value worth `25 crore after searches were carried out at 12 places in the city.