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Andhra official’s salary Rs 1L, raid finds assets worth Rs 60 cr
The raids found five residential plots, four flats and agricultural land of 9.20 acre in Krishna, Anantapur and Kadapa districts registered in the name of Pasuparthi Pradeep Kumar, a senior official of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority.
A government official with a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh has been arrested after police raids revealed he owned land, cash and valuables — including silver-made lamps and utensils — not matching his income, the Andhra Pradesh police said.
Pasuparthi Pradeep Kumar, a senior official of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA), is believed to have owned assets worth Rs 60 crore, says the agency that made the arrest on Monday night.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau raided 12 places in Andhra and neighbouring Telangana in connection with its probe into a case against Kumar, who joined service in May 1984 as a building inspector with a monthly salary of Rs 1,300.
The raids found five residential plots, four flats and agricultural land measuring 9.20 acre at different places in Krishna, Anantapur and Kadapa districts. These were registered under the names of Kumar, his father, wife, son, brother-in-law and paternal uncle.
Officials also seized 2.7kg of gold, 12.5kg of silver, two platinum rings, a car and a two-wheeler, besides cash and fixed deposits worth Rs 35 lakh and household articles worth Rs 21 lakh.
Kumar, a native of Chakrala village of Kurnool district, was promoted as a town planning supervisor in 1991, and held several positions later before taking charge as the additional chief urban planner.
“We were surprised to find that all the utensils, including drinking water glasses, lamps used in puja room and even key chains of almirahs were made of silver. He bought gold and diamond jewellery for his wife,” an ACB official said.
“His present salary is just around Rs 1 lakh per month and he has no ancestral properties. Yet, he amassed so much wealth during his career,” the official said.
