Power Play: TGSPDCL Engineer Caught Red-Handed Taking Rs 1.2 Lakh Bribe
An Assistant Engineer of TGSPDCL was arrested by the ACB in Hyderabad for demanding a bribe to sanction new electricity meters.
In a shocking instance of corruption within the public utility sector, an Assistant Engineer of the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) was apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.2 lakh in Hyderabad.
The Trap is Set
The accused, identified as Pandala Sandhaya Rakesh, serves as the Assistant Engineer at the Madannapet Section under the Santosh Nagar Sub-Division. The drama unfolded when a complainant approached the ACB, alleging that Rakesh had demanded a significant sum of money to perform a routine official duty.
The bribe was reportedly demanded in exchange for the sanctioning of six new electricity meters. The complainant had submitted online applications to replace old meters that had gone missing, but the process was stalled by the engineer's demand for illegal gratification.
The Arrest and Recovery
Acting on the complaint, the ACB officials of City Range-II laid a trap. The operation was successful, and Rakesh was caught red-handed while accepting the tainted amount. Following the arrest, ACB officials recovered the full bribe amount of Rs 1.2 lakh from the possession of the accused.
According to the ACB, the engineer acted dishonestly and improperly by seeking an undue advantage to carry out tasks that were part of his official responsibilities. To ensure the safety of the whistleblower, the ACB has withheld the identity of the complainant.
Legal Proceedings
Pandala Sandhaya Rakesh is currently being produced before the Principal Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases at Nampally to be placed under judicial remand. The case remains under active investigation as authorities look deeper into the matter.
A Pattern of Corruption?
This incident follows another high-profile crackdown on corruption in the city. In a separate operation on September 16, the ACB City Range-1 unit nabbed two senior police officers from the Keesara Police Station.
The officers involved—Station House Officer (SHO) / Circle Inspector Arkapally Anjaneyulu and Sub-Inspector (SI) Dyapa Gnanender Reddy—were caught red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh. That bribe was allegedly sought to grant station bail and to ensure the complainant and his friend were not harassed in a registered case.