A Beat Forest Officer (BFO) and another person were caught in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) trap in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Thursday for allegedly demanding and accepting ₹30,000 bribe from a podu cultivator.
The accused officer was identified as Banoth Ravi Kumar, a BFO of Kachanapally Beat and in-charge of Ramanujagudem Beat in Allapally mandal. The second accused, Pathan Sadiq Khan, allegedly accepted the bribe on the officer’s instructions.
According to the ACB, Ravi Kumar had demanded ₹30,000 from the complainant in exchange for not obstructing his podu cultivation or taking action such as digging trenches. As per the ACB, the alleged favour would have allowed the complainant to continue cultivation without interference and potentially preserve his prospects of obtaining a patta or regularisation of the land in future, subject to government policy and procedure.
The officer allegedly instructed the complainant to hand over the money to Sadiq Khan at his residence in Ramanujagudem village and told him that he would collect the amount from Khan later. The complainant handed over the cash as directed, following which ACB officials recovered the tainted ₹30,000 during the trap. A chemical test conducted on Khan’s hands returned positive results.
The ACB said Ravi Kumar had demanded and accepted the illegal gratification through Khan by allegedly misusing his official position.
Both accused persons were arrested and are being produced before the Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases. The case is under investigation. The identity of the complainant has been withheld for security reasons. The ACB has appealed to the public to report demands for bribes by public servants on its toll-free number 1064.
Published – September 03, 2026 06:19 pm IST
