Corrupt cop in ACB net

Assets worth around Rs 100 crore in market unearthed

Tainted officer T S Uma Maheshwar Rao notorious for helping accused

An assistant commissioner of police (ACP) of the Hyderabad city police in Telangana has been arrested for amassing huge assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted simultaneous searches at the residence of the tainted ACP, T S Uma Maheshwar Rao, located in Ashoknagar and several other places since Tuesday.

A whopping Rs 37.50 lakh in cash, 600 grams of gold ornaments, documents pertaining immovable assets acquired in 17 places including a luxury villa and two bank lockers have been seized during searches.

The 17 immovable assets include five properties are located in Ghatkesar, one each house plots in Shameerpet, Malkajgiri and Kukatpally – all on the outskirts of Hyderabad, seven properties in Visahkapatnam and Chodavaram of Andhra Pradesh and a luxurious villa in Shameerpet on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

ACB officials said the bank lockers are yet to be opened and examined. The accused official was produced before the designated court on Wednesday. The court remanded him to 14 days in judicial custody.

Meanwhile, sources in the police department said that the tainted official is notorious for corrupt practices and helping the accused in high-profile cases in return for monetary benefits.

It is alleged that Uma Maheshwar Rao had taken bribes to the tune of crores of rupees while investigating the case related to Sahiti Infra. The promoters of Sahiti Infra had duped gullible people to the tune of Rs 2000 crore after luring them in the name of pre-launch offers in their real-estate ventures.

Further, it is said Uma Maheshwar Rao had made ‘good money’ from two ‘fixers’ of Banjara Hills when he was working in the Crime Investigation Department (CID). He was assigned with five criminal cases related to Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills police stations, which were specially transferred to the CID following allegations of misuse and abuse of powers by the local police.

It is said the two ‘fixers’ were very close to a senior IPS officer, who earlier worked as commissioner of Hyderabad police. Taking advantage of their proximity to the top cop, the duo allegedly used to call the shots in Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills police stations.

It has to be seen whether all these aspects will be investigated into by the ACB.