ACB nabs Deputy Registrar while seeking land as bribe in Visakhapatnam

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Visakhapatnam struck yet again as they nabbed the Deputy Registrar and Divisional Co-operative Officer for demanding a piece of land as bribe on Tuesday.

Deputy Registrar and Divisional Co-operative Officer of the cooperative department, Boina Moisha, was caught red-handed while demanding a piece of land from the retired veterinary housing co-operative society near the ACB office in Chinagadili area. In return for official favour, Moisha had demanded the President of the veterinary employees housing society, Simhadrappa, to hand over 200 sq. yards of land which is valued at Rs.49.93 lakhs. The Deputy Registrar further asked the landed be handed under his brother Mallikarjuna’s name. This land was allotted to the retired employees by the State Government.

Moisha had threatened Simhadrappa that he would not close the inquiry into the allotment of the land if he refused to pay the bribe. An agreement was eventually reached to hand over the land to Moisha. But a complaint was filed with the ACB officials who conducted the required preliminary checks and laid a trap to nab the accused. As the land was being registered under Moisha’s brother’s name, the ACB officials caught the Deputy Registrar red-handed.

Earlier this month, ACB officials were prompt in acting on a bribe complaint and had arrested Zone III revenue inspector Hari Gopal and tax collector K. Mahesh in this regard. The accused were taken into custody for demanding about Rs 1.8 lakhs to avoid any tax to be enhanced on the victim’s property at Ramnagar.