The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has intensified its investigation into suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Sankireddy Bheem Reddy, identifying eight people suspected of acting as benamis in connection with the disproportionate assets case against the police officer.
On Thursday, September 24, ACB officials conducted simultaneous searches at the homes of the suspected benamis in Puppalaguda and other parts of Hyderabad. The searches are carried out under the leadership of ACB DSP G. Sridhar as investigators probe property documents, financial transactions and other material allegedly linked with Bheem Reddy.
According to reports, officials are examining documents and other records found during the searches to establish the ownership and financial links of properties under investigation. It is part of the ACB's continuation of the investigation to retrieve benami assets linked to the suspended DSP.
The ACB conducted a massive operation in July, when investigators searched 16 locations connected to Bheem Reddy, his relatives, friends, associates and alleged benamidars. The searches were initiated after the ACB filed a disproportionate assets case against the police officer, alleging that he had accumulated assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his service.
The searches in July uncovered a large portfolio of properties and other assets. The New Indian Express reported that the immovable assets across Telangana and Karnataka had a market value of about ₹200 crore, while other reports indicated that the value of the assets discovered was about ₹150 crore. ACB had said verification of other assets is still in process and the final value was yet to be calculated.
Among the properties identified during the earlier searches were a luxury villa, residential flats, commercial property and agricultural land. Investigators also reportedly found land holdings in Telangana and Karnataka and investments and other financial assets among them.
The ACB also reported the seizure of cash, gold and silver. According to The New Indian Express, officials recovered around ₹3.6 lakh in cash from Bheem Reddy’s residence and ₹40 lakh from the residence of an alleged benamidar, along with about 2 kg of gold ornaments and 20 kg of silver articles. Bank balances of nearly ₹19.91 lakh were also reported.
Investigators are looking at the role of benamidars in holding or managing properties linked to the DSP. The ACB said that properties may have been registered in the names of other people to some extent, but still under the control or benefit of Bheem Reddy and others, earlier reports said. The agency has also been investigating the financial relationships of the police officer and people associated with the properties, it said.
The identification of eight suspected benamis is another step in the investigation. The current searches will allow the ACB to investigate whether those names identified by investigators are linked to properties, transactions or other assets allegedly linked to Bheem Reddy.
The ACB’s investigation has already resulted in Bheem Reddy’s arrest in the disproportionate assets case. The officer was arrested in July following the initial searches and was taken through the legal process in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate also registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in relation to Bheem Reddy's assets. The ED's investigation is separate from the ACB's and is concerned with possible money laundering aspects arising from the underlying allegations.
The latest searches in Puppalaguda and other parts of Hyderabad may also provide investigators with more property records and financial evidence. The documents and transactions will be examined to determine whether they are relevant to the disproportionate assets investigation.
For now, the ACB has identified eight suspected benamis and conducted searches at properties associated with them. The agency’s conclusions from this operation will help determine the next step in the investigation into the alleged benami assets and financial dealings of suspended DSP Bheem Reddy.
