ACB books Suryapet town planning officer for assets worth ₹3.54 crore

The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a disproportionate assets (DA) case against Vuyyala Somaiah, Town Planning Officer of Suryapet Municipality and in-charge TPO of Kodad Municipality. The action follows searches conducted on Thursday at his residence, office and seven other locations, which led to the detection of assets valued at approximately ₹3.54 crore.

According to the ACB, Somaiah allegedly acquired these assets through corrupt practices and dubious means, far exceeding his known sources of income. During the searches, officials recovered documents pertaining to three acres and three guntas of agricultural land in Suryapet district, along with five residential properties spread across Suryapet district and Hayathnagar. These include a G+1 building, a G+2 building, a G+4 building with a penthouse, and two ground-floor houses, with an official valuation of ₹2.75 crore. The ACB noted that the market value of these properties is likely to be higher.

Additionally, documents for eight open plots in various parts of Suryapet, valued at ₹2.58 lakh, were found. The searches also led to the seizure of ₹4.63 lakh in cash, bank balances totalling ₹13 lakh, and 709 grams of gold and 1,750 grams of silver ornaments worth around ₹20 lakh. Two four-wheelers and three two-wheelers, valued at approximately ₹25.20 lakh, along with household articles and electronic gadgets worth about ₹11 lakh, were also identified.

The ACB further revealed that Somaiah had availed a gold loan of ₹49 lakh by pledging 66.9 tolas of gold with a bank. Verification of additional assets is ongoing. Somaiah is being produced before the Principal Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Hyderabad for judicial remand. The case remains under investigation.