The complainant had previously transferred Rs.30,000 via PhonePe and handed over Rs.10,000 in cash to the officer on the registration day.
Published Oct 28, 2025 | 1:33 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 28, 2025 | 1:33 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: A Grama Paripalana Officer (GPO), Banavath Srinivas Naik, was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau accepting a ₹15,000 bribe in Mulkalapalli mandal for issuing a pattadar passbook for 2.30 acres of land. Part of the revived VRO/VRA system under the Congress government, this marks the first such arrest since appointments in September. An inquiry into higher officials’ involvement is underway.
A Grama Paripalana Officer (GPO), selected from former Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs), was nabbed red-handed for taking bribe by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Mulkalapalli mandal on Monday.
According to a Telangana Today report, Banavath Srinivas Naik, GPO for the Pusugudem revenue cluster, had allegedly demanded ₹60,000 from a complainant to register and issue a pattadar passbook for 2.30 acres of agricultural land in survey number 254/AA of Vemukunta village.
ACB officials stated that the complainant had previously transferred ₹30,000 via PhonePe and handed over ₹10,000 in cash on the registration day. Srinivas Naik then requested the outstanding ₹20,000, but settled for ₹15,000.
The ACB set a trap and caught him receiving the bribe at the tahsildar office.
ACB Khammam Range DSP Y Ramesh indicated that the accused was suspected of demanding the bribe under instructions from senior officials, with an investigation ongoing to confirm any further involvement. The accused officer will appear before the special judge for ACB and SPE cases in Warangal.
Interestingly, the previous Telangana government abolished the VRO/VRA system amid corruption claims and reassigned the officers to other departments. However, the current Congress dispensation reinstated it by appointing the former VROs/VRAs as GPOs.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy presented appointment letters to the GPOs in September. Monday’s ACB operation marks the first such incident in the state involving a GPO caught red-handed taking a bribe.
