Revenue officer caught taking a bribe of Rs. 30,000 in Visakhapatnam

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials have arrested a Village Revenue Officer (VRO) in Cheedikada village of Visakhapatnam District for accepting a bribe. The revenue officer was caught red-handed by ACB officials on Thursday while taking a bribe of Rs. 30,000 from a person. The bribe had apparently been taken for the swift issuance of a pattadar passbook and to change the person’s property details. The VRO has been identified as K Raju.

The ACB officials in Visakhapatnam got into action after receiving a complaint about a bribe demand from N Sattibabu, a resident of Cheedikada, who had approached the Village Revenue Officer, Mr. Raju for the issuance of his pattadar passbook and to update details of a land that was under his father’s name. The complainant was then demanded a bribe of Rs. 30,000 for all these works by the VRO. 

After receiving the complaint from Mr. Sattibabu, Anti-Corruption Bureau officials got into action and set up a trap wherein the complainant would go to the VRO’s office and present the Rs. 30,000 bribe. Mr. Raju was caught red-handed accepting the bribe and has been taken into custody in Visakhapatnam. He will soon be presented before a court.

Of late, ACB officials have been rampant in Visakhapatnam, coming down on corruption at government offices. Back in August 2021, a land surveyor and a police officer in the district had been arrested by ACB in separate bribery cases. Earlier, ACB officials had conducted surprise raids at Mandal Revenue Offices (MRO) in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram Districts to uncover major irregularities in their functioning.