ACB traps forest officer, aide for ₹30,000 bribe in Kothagudem

In a targeted anti-corruption operation, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a Beat Forest Officer (BFO) and his associate on Thursday for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹30,000 from a podu cultivator in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The accused officer, Banoth Ravi Kumar, serves as the BFO for Kachanapally Beat and holds additional charge of Ramanujagudem Beat in Allapally mandal. His associate, Pathan Sadiq Khan, is alleged to have collected the money on the officer's behalf.

According to the ACB, Ravi Kumar had demanded the amount from the complainant in exchange for not obstructing his podu (shifting) cultivation or taking actions such as digging trenches. The officer reportedly assured the cultivator that the payment would allow him to continue farming without interference and potentially safeguard his future prospects of obtaining a patta or regularisation of the land, subject to government policy.

The officer instructed the complainant to hand over the cash to Khan at his residence in Ramanujagudem village, saying he would collect it later. The complainant complied, and ACB officials recovered the tainted money during the trap. A chemical test on Khan's hands returned positive, confirming contact with the bribe amount.

The ACB stated that Ravi Kumar misused his official position to demand and accept the illegal gratification through Khan. Both accused have been arrested and are being produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases. The investigation is ongoing, and the complainant's identity has been withheld for security reasons.

The ACB has urged the public to report any demands for bribes by public servants on its toll-free helpline number 1064.