AP Lineman owns riches worth 100cr. Nabbed by ACB

NELLORE: One of India’s richest office attenders last month was brought to light. Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths on Thursday caught another lower-ranking official, working at APTransco, for possessing disproportionate assets worth close to Rs 100 crore as per conservative estimates. AP lineman’s wealth mostly through bribe.

The accused was identified as 56-year-old S Lakshmi Reddy, who works as a line inspector at the assistant executive engineer’s office of APTransco in Nellore district. ACB officials conducted simultaneous raids at five different places in Nellore and Prakasam districts.

The search operations started at 6.30am and continued till late evening. ACB officials said Lakshmi Reddy possessed several acres of agricultural land and luxurious houses in both districts, with his assets valued around Rs 100 crore or more, as per initial estimates.

The accused joined government service in 1993 as a helper at Kavali sub-station under APSPDCL. He was promoted as an assistant lineman in 1996 and as lineman in 1997. Since 2014, he has been working as a line inspector at Mungamuru village under Bogolu mandal.

Simultaneous raids were conducted at his house in Kavali town, at his father Malakonda Reddy house, his in laws’ places and his friends’ residences. ACB officials found documents that indicated he amassed 57.50 acres of agriculture land, six luxurious houses, and two house plots. Other movable properties include Rs 9.95 lakh bank balance and several vehicles.

ACB sources said most of the ill-gotten wealth must have been amassed by demanding bribes for official favours. They also suspect he had sold official stocks like copper wire and other items from the warehouse. Most assets, particularly land and houses, were registered on his wife S Subhashini.