Forest officer, associate caught in ACB trap over ₹30,000 bribe
A Beat Forest Officer and an associate were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Telangana for demanding a bribe from a local cultivator. The officials were caught in a trap after the officer allegedly sought money to allow the farmer to continue his work.
Why it matters
It underscores ongoing efforts to combat corruption within local government departments and protect the rights of small-scale cultivators.
A Beat Forest Officer (BFO) and another person were caught in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) trap in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Thursday for allegedly demanding and accepting ₹30,000 bribe from a podu cultivator.
The accused officer was identified as Banoth Ravi Kumar, a BFO of Kachanapally Beat and in-charge of Ramanujagudem Beat in Allapally mandal. The second accused, Pathan Sadiq Khan, allegedly accepted the bribe on the officer’s instructions.
According to the ACB, Ravi Kumar had demanded ₹30,000 from the complainant in exchange for not obstructing his podu cultivation or taking action such as digging trenches. As per the ACB, the alleged favour would have allowed the complainant to continue cultivation without interference and potentially preserve his prospects of obtaining a patta or regularisation of the land in future, subject to government policy and procedure.
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