ACB traps CDPO in Jagtial over ₹63,000 Anganwadi bribe

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Saturday caught a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) in Jagtial district while she was allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹63,000, the agency said.

The accused, Daroju Padma, holds the CDPO post at Metpally. She was apprehended by the ACB's Karimnagar unit outside her office premises as the money changed hands, according to the agency.

Investigators allege that Padma had demanded ₹1,000 a month from each of the 21 Anganwadi centres falling under the Metpally Urban Mandal. The demand was made in exchange for official favour, the ACB said, and the amount claimed for three months came to ₹63,000, or ₹3,000 from each centre.

The agency further alleged that the officer sought the money so that she would not record adverse remarks while inspecting the Anganwadi centres, thereby misusing her official position.

During the trap, Padma is said to have accepted the ₹63,000 directly from the complainant. The tainted amount was recovered from her possession, the ACB said.

She is being arrested and will be produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Karimnagar for judicial remand. Further investigation into the matter is under way.

The identity and other details of the complainant have been withheld for security reasons.