In Hyderabad, a recent Right to Information (RTI) request uncovered that only 25% of cases filed by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) move forward to prosecution.
M Padmnabha Reddy, leader of the Forum for Good Governance, revealed through the RTI that the Telangana ACB registered 621 cases over the past five years. Many government officials involved face disciplinary actions within their departments.
In the 2023-24 period, the ACB concluded 19 cases, resulting in nine convictions and ten acquittals. In 2024-25, they closed 22 cases, with 12 convictions and ten acquittals. The ACB courts manage to resolve only about 20 cases each year.
The Forum for Good Governance has called on Telangana’s Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, to implement stronger measures to combat corruption in the region.
On December 16, the ACB caught a deputy executive engineer at Osmania University accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000. This officer, part of the university’s Building Division, was caught taking a partial payment of Rs 6,000 from a total Rs 11,000 bribe for processing bills worth Rs 7.37 lakh related to renovation work at the Maneru Boys Hostel on the OU campus. The bribe was intended to ensure no future problems with contract work at the campus.
The ACB earlier reported that the officer had accepted an initial Rs 5,000 via a digital payment. The Rs 6,000 was recovered from the officer, who reportedly acted improperly and dishonestly for personal gain. The investigation is ongoing.
