Additional Collector Arrested in School Bribery Case After ACB Trap

ACB Probe Leads to Arrest of Additional Collector in School Bribery Case

Hanamkonda: A routine request for renewing a private school’s permission in Telangana has revealed a deeper pattern of alleged bribery inside a key district education office. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Additional Collector-cum-District Education Officer Venkat Reddy and two section clerks after a meticulously planned trap exposed demands for illegal payments linked to the school’s pending file.

The operation unfolded after weeks of delays, shifting demands and escalating pressure on school administrators — a chain of events that investigators say reflects how small-scale bribery silently influences public services.

Bribe Demand Surfaces After Routine School Application Stalls

The matter began when Creative Private School in Kothur village submitted an online application to renew its permission. After the Mandal Education Officer completed the inspection, the file reached the District Education Office but remained untouched for over ten days, leaving the school at risk of missing statutory deadlines.

When representatives sought clarity, two section clerks — identified as Ghouse and Manoj — allegedly demanded ₹1 lakh to move the file forward. According to the subsequent complaint, the message was explicit: without payment, the renewal would remain stalled indefinitely.

From Delays to Direct Pressure Inside the Collector’s Office

Unable to meet the demand, the school correspondent met Additional Collector Venkat Reddy directly and informed him of the situation. Despite assurances that the matter would be reviewed, the file continued to remain pending.

Two days later, the clerks allegedly returned with a revised demand of ₹60,000. Facing disruption to daily school operations, the correspondent opted to approach the ACB instead of agreeing to the illegal payment, prompting the agency to set up a covert trap.

Trap Execution and Arrest Inside the District Office

On Friday, equipped with marked currency, the school correspondent visited the DEO office under ACB guidance. After briefly consulting with the Additional Collector, the clerks returned and allegedly collected the ₹60,000.

ACB officers immediately intervened, catching the clerks with the tainted cash inside the premises. During initial questioning, both reportedly admitted they were collecting the bribe on instructions from Additional Collector Venkat Reddy.

Officers secured the office, seized the money and began reviewing files, correspondence logs and renewal applications to identify whether similar demands had been made in previous cases.

Officials Remanded as Inquiry Expands Beyond One School

By evening, all three — the Additional Collector and the two clerks — had been arrested and remanded for further proceedings. ACB DSP Sambaiah confirmed the arrests, adding that early evidence suggests this incident may not have been an isolated occurrence.

Investigators are now mapping the office’s decision-making patterns, scrutinising digital communication, approval logs and complaints from other schools. Officials believe the inquiry could expose a broader set of irregularities within the district education framework.

Cases like this reinforce the importance of transparent workflows, internal oversight and strong documentation in every institution — whether public or private.

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