Disproportionate assets worth Rs 150 crore uncovered in raids on irrigation officer

The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has uncovered disproportionate assets worth an estimated Rs 150 crore during raids at the residence of an Assistant Engineer associated with the irrigation department, Nikesh Kumar, and 30 other locations.
The search, which began early on Saturday morning, was carried out following credible information regarding Kumar’s unexplained wealth.
The ACB officials revealed that the assets included a range of properties, such as agricultural land, residential plots, flats, and even a villa, all registered under Kumar’s name.
In addition to the real estate, the raids also uncovered bank lockers and fixed deposit receipts, further implicating the official in illicit wealth accumulation. The search operation is ongoing, and ACB officials continue to assess the full scale of the assets discovered.
In May 2024, he was arrested along with several other officials, including Executive Engineer K Bhansi Lal, Assistant Engineer K Karthik, and MRO Surveyor P Ganesh, in connection with a bribery case.
These officials had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a complainant in exchange for completing official work. The complainant had already paid Rs 1.5 lakh but was being harassed for the remaining amount, leading to the ACB’s intervention and the arrests.