ACB unearths 20 cr illegal assets of Srikakulam DEE

Srikakulam/Visakhapatnam: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths conducted simultaneous raids on Srikakulam municipal corporation deputy executive engineer (DEE) Gottumukkala Srinivasa Rao on Monday on charges of amassing wealth illegally. During the raid, the (ACB) officials unearthed Rs 20 crore of illegal assets both movable and immovable properties belonging to Srinivasa Kumar.

After registering disproportionate assets case against the DEE, the ACB officials conducted raids at his chamber’s in Srikakulam and rented room in Srikakulam, residential plot at Visakhapatnam, his native place Denduluru and relatives houses in Bhimavaram and Palakollu in West Godavari. In Srikakulam, ACB DSP K Rajendra Kumar led the raids at Srikakulam municipal corporation office and rented room in DCCB colony in Srikakulam.

The rented room was seized as it was locked at the time of raids. The sleuths verified records at his chamber in the municipal corporation. They seized illegal assets of Kumar, including cash, gold, land holdings, houses and a few others estimated to be around Rs 1.64 crore as per the document value but as per market value they would cross more than Rs 20 crore. 

“Currently, our officials in three districts found in total 32 acres of lands in Denduluru, four house sties and a residential plot at Bhimavaram, a house in Visakhapatnam, bank lockers and gold ornaments. We will open bank lockers soon,” said Srikakulam DSP K Rajendra Kumar.
Director General of ACB RP Thakur said that they have seized the illegal assets of Srinivas Kumar, which includes a residential flat of 1,085 sqft in North Extension, Seethammadhara in Visakhapatnam city and agriculture land of 6.82 acres at Kovvali village in West Godavari district.  

The officials identified various assets in the name of his wife, daughter, mother and other relatives include one house plot in the city, three vacant sites in Bhimavaram of West Godavari and about 24 cents of agriculture land in Kovvali village were seized. Apart from immovable properties, the ACB officials also seized moveable properties including two two-wheelers, 423 grams of gold ornaments, 1,548 grams of silver, liquid cash around Rs 12.27 lakhs and cash at bank Rs 5.45 lakhs.

The two lockers in the name of Srinivas Kumar’s wife are yet to be opened, he added. Gottumukkala Srinivasa Kumar had joined as works inspector in municipal administration and urban development wing around three decades back for a modest salary and rose up to Deputy Executive Engineer in 2017.The accused used to get huge kickbacks for allocating the municipal tender works to the contractors. The tainted officer will be produced before the ACB Special Court on Tuesday.