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THE TELANGANA ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU (ACB) has arrested Kallepalli Sathish Kumar, a 33-year-old Assistant Engineer posted at the Peddapally Municipal Office, for allegedly demanding and accepting a ₹2 lakh bribe from a contractor. The Municipal Assistant Engineer was allegedly demanding that amount from a contractor to clear a pending bill. It sparked a wider investigation where investigators raided Kumar’s residence and recovered ₹32 lakh in cash, source of which is still being examined.

According to the ACB, they were acting on a complaint and had set a trap by sending marked currency notes for the official. Kumar was caught red-handed at his residence while accepting the marked currency notes. After the trap, officials searched his house and recovered Rs 32.31 lakh in unaccounted cash. He was later produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Karimnagar. The investigation is still on. 

ACB Lays Trap to Arrest Telangana Engineer Demanding ₹2 Lakh Bribe 

The ACB said Kallepalli Sathish Kumar Kumar allegedly demanded the bribe to process and forward a contractor's final bill of ₹12,28,748. The bill was related to development works carried out under Package-9, including infrastructure work at a Hindu graveyard in Tenuguwada and another graveyard in Peddapally town. As the Assistant Engineer, Kumar was responsible for verifying the bill and forwarding it to the Telangana Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDC) in Hyderabad for final approval and release of payment.

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After receiving a complaint from the contractor, ACB officials laid a trap. Kumar was allegedly caught while accepting the ₹2 lakh bribe, and the marked currency notes were recovered from him. In its statement, the bureau alleged that the engineer "performed his duties dishonestly and improperly" to obtain an undue advantage by abusing his official position.

Soon after the arrest, ACB teams searched Kumar's residence where they allegedly recovered ₹32,31,900 in cash. Officials said the amount was unaccounted for and its source is now being verified. Investigators are now looking into whether the cash is linked to similar instances of alleged corruption or if the engineer owns assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. More details are expected as the probe moves ahead.

The engineer has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and further action will depend on what the investigation finds.

Public Outraged Over Bribes for Hindu Graveyard

This case has also attracted attention because the alleged bribe was linked to works at Hindu graveyards, a public project meant for the local community.

In the internet, users reacted to the news, demanding responsibility from government officials. One user wrote, “Government treasury is filling up fast, we should soon see further developments.”

Users were also baffled by the audacity of this officer to lay such demands. One X user wrote, “This is amazing [because] every one is looting the country. These bustards should be actually stripped and made to carry their loads of thrash over their heads til whole city knows what they were doing.”

More people demanded strict action against the engineer, with one writing, “Until people like these don't lose their job and get severe punishment this is bound to happen. They have earned enough. What if they are suspended and later join the same job they will become more corrupt and will cover for their lose via corruption only.”

The ACB has appealed to people not to pay bribes if demanded by government officials and instead approach the bureau with complaints. Officials said the investigation is continuing and more details will be known after examining the seized cash and other records.

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