Tourism official arrested by ACB in Disproportionate Assets case

Vijayawada: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Wednesday raided the residence of Tourism department Estate Officer R Siva Rao at Smitha towers on Tikkel Road and seized documents related to properties worth crores of rupees.

The ACB officials arrested the accused Siva Rao in connection with the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case and produced him in the Court. The market value of the properties held by Siva Rao is estimated at Rs.20 crore.

The accused had worked for a long time in Revenue department and has been working in Tourism department on deputation for the past some months. He joined as typist in 1985 and later promoted to the Tahsildar level.

According to R P Thakur, Director of ACB, the accused Siva Rao has owned 14 house site plots, two flats, two houses, 0.96 acres agriculture land which were registered on his name and on his relatives.

The ACB officials during the raids conducted on his residence located in Syamala Nagar found Rs.18 lakh cash, gold articles weighing 793 grams, silver articles weighing 1 kg, LIC policies valued at Rs.3 lakh, private chits Rs.20 lakh, one Honda Creta car and two 2-wheeler vehicles.

Siva Rao joined the Government service as a typist in revenue department through APPSC Group IV service and he got promoted as Deputy Tahsildar and later as Tahsildar. He earlier worked as Deputy Tahsildar in Penamaluru of Krishna district and deputy tahsildar (Urban land ceiling from 2006 to 2008).

He worked as Tahsildar in Mopidevi, Kankipadu, Gannavaram from 2009 to 2012 and Vijayawada urban from 2012 to 2018. DG of ACB R P Thakur said the accused was arrested in DA case and produced in the Court.