Sleuths from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday unearthed disproportionate assets worth several crore after they raided an official from the endowments department in Andhra Pradesh.
According to reports, the ACB raided 16 locations owned by or related to Regional Joint Commissioner (RJC), identified as Seelam Chandrasekhar Azad.
The Times of India reported that the ACB sleuths found assets worth Rs 50 crore, besides identifying a palatial G+2 house at Gollapudi in Vijayawada built across 500 sq yards.
Assets had been found at Vijayawada, Hyderabad and Rajahmundry, while searches were also being conducted at Nuzividu, Eluru and Anantapur areas, the ToI report adds.
Media reports add that the accused was running a solar power plant on 32 acres at Ubicherla village in Anantapur district, that showed an investment of Rs 18 crore, registered under the names of three of his domestic helps -- S Satyavathi, A Rangamma and A Lakshmana Rao.
Azad's brother, Vivekananda, was also found to be holding many of the tainted official's properties on his name.
The Hindu reported that gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 12 lakh and household articles valued about Rs 22 lakh were recovered, and the RJC, who was operating from his office at Rajamahendravaram had visited Europe, Malaysia, Singapore and China.
In a press release, ACB director-general RP Thakur said that Azad joined the government in 2000 as an assistant commissioner for the endowments department. He had worked as the executive officer (EO) at several prominent temples, including Srikalahasti at Srisailam.
Besides this, he was the EO for the Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy temple, Vemulawada temple in Karimnagar and at the Tirupatamma temple in Penuganchiprolu in Krishna district.
Thakur also said that Azad had been under investigation for a year, and he had also tried to promote corruption in the offices where he was working.
Reports suggested that people within his own office, had tipped off the ACB.