Palnadu, Jan 24: An official who demanded a bribe to clear a pending catering bill was caught red-handed by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials. The arrest of Palnadu District Revenue Officer (DRO) Murali while accepting a bribe of Rs. 3 lakhs has caused a sensation.
Karimullah, a resident of Narasaraopet, works as a catering contractor. During the previous government’s tenure, the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Varikapudisela project took place in Macherla, and Karimullah had secured the catering order for the event. However, a bill of Rs. 26 lakhs remained pending.
Karimullah had been making rounds of government offices to get the bill cleared. In this context, he approached DRO Murali, who allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 3 lakhs to authorize the payment.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, Karimullah approached ACB officials and filed a complaint. Acting on a tip-off and following a strategic trap, the ACB caught DRO Murali red-handed while he was accepting the Rs. 3 lakh cash. The officials seized the bribe money and took the DRO into custody. He has been shifted to Vijayawada to be produced before the ACB Court this afternoon.
