ACB plunges into action, raids former RDO, VRO houses

Tirupati : The Crime Investigation Department (CID) is swiftly advancing its investigation into the July 21 fire incident at the Madanapalle sub-collector office, where key documents were reportedly burned. To expedite the inquiry, the CID has assembled three teams from its Tirupati, Nellore and Kurnool branches.

In a major development, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted raids on Saturday at the residence of former Madanapalle Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Murali in Tirupati, along with Village Revenue Officer (VRO) Sekhar's home in Madanapalle. Both the officials are under scrutiny over allegations of disproportionate assets. Murali, already under suspension, has come under intensified focus, with ACB teams extending their search to his known associates, including alleged benamis, relatives and friends.

Led by ACB Joint Director Rajasekhar and Assistant Superintendent of Police Vimala Kumari, a total of 13 ACB teams are conducting searches across five districts – Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa and Nellore, with six teams stationed in Tirupati alone. Preliminary findings include the seizure of key documents, bank passbooks and other materials, though the searches are ongoing.

Additionally, ACB Circle Inspector Mohan Prasad is leading a search at VRO Sekhar's residence in Madanapalle. Sekhar reportedly worked closely with Murali during the latter’s tenure as the RDO of Madanapalle, heightening suspicions of their connection to irregularities. The CID is also probing land-related discrepancies and scrutinising seized documents as part of the broader investigation.

The government has taken a serious view of the fire incident, which destroyed several critical files at the sub-collector’s office. The CID has been directed to identify those responsible, with both the CID and ACB operating at an accelerated pace, signalling a resolve to conclude the investigation swiftly and transparently.