ACB Arrests Prime Accused In Sheep Distribution Scam

In a significant development in the sheep distribution scam that rocked Telangana, the principal accused, Moinuddin, was arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials at the Shamshabad airport this morning.

With his arrest, the total number of individuals apprehended in the case has risen to 17.

Moinuddin has been facing serious allegations since the beginning of the investigation into the scam. According to the investigation, Moinuddin played a key role in orchestrating the scam, and is believed to be central to the irregularities in the execution of the scheme.

The Congress government had earlier handed over the probe to ACB officials after uncovering large-scale irregularities in the scheme - an ambitious initiative launched by the previous BRS government.

The police had earlier issued a Lookout Circular (LOC) against Moinuddin. However, shortly after the case was registered, he fled to Dubai with his son. Upon his return to Hyderabad today, ACB officials detained him at the airport and took him directly to the ACB office in Banjara Hills for questioning.

For context, the Telangana government's Sheep Rearing and Development Scheme (SRDS), launched in 2017, promised 20 sheep per shepherd family with 75% government subsidy. Thousands of sheep were sourced from traders in Guntur and Karnataka.

Trouble began on December 26, 2023, when trader S Yedukondalu from Andhra Pradesh filed a police complaint. He accused Mohiduddin, his nephew Ikramuddin, and two animal husbandry officials of duping him. Between August 13 and 23, 2023, Yedukondalu and 17 others claimed that they supplied 133 units of sheep and had submitted the required documents, but never received payment.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) took over and found that fake bank accounts - some in the names of Mohiduddin's associates - had been used to siphon off government funds.