Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths trap assistant audit officer

Kakinada: Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths trapped an assistant audit officer here on Saturday. 

According to ACB officials, Gandepalli Rama Rao was a retired employee in fisheries department and died in 2016. After the death of Ramarao, his daughter Padmavathi approached fisheries department officials for sanction of his father’s pension to her as she is alone and has no other source of income. 

Later the fisheries department officials asked her to bring audit clearance and no objection certificate from audit department. When Padmavathi approached the assistant audit officer Bathula Rajendra, for sanction of no objection certificate, he demanded Rs 25,000 as bribe. When Padmavathi expressed her helplessness over the amount and he agreed for Rs5,000 to give no objection certificate.

 Vexed with the attitude of audit officer, on Friday, Padmavathi approached the ACB and lodged a complaint. Acting on tip-off, the ACB sleuths laid trap and arrested the audit officer at his office while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from Padmavathi.ACB DSP Sudhakara Rao and inspectors V Pulla Rao, Surya Mohana Rao took part in the raid.