AEO Arrested For Diverting Rs 2 Crore Rythu Bhima, Rythu Bandhu Funds

Goreti Srisailam, AEO for Agriyal Cluster, Kondurg mandal, Ranga Reddy district; and Odela Veera Swamy, a cab driver; were arrested yesterday for diverting Rythu Bhima and Rythu Bandhu funds following a complaint lodged by District Agriculture Officer, Ranga Reddy district.

The District Agriculture Officer informed the police that 20 claims of Rythu Bhima pertaining to the Agiryal Cluster were found suspicious, and upon verification, he came to know that Goreti Srisailam, Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) of the cluster, was involved in the 20 fake claims amounting to Rs 1 crore, and also that he had misappropriated the Rythu Bandhu funds of 130 fake pattadars and non-claimants and diverted funds to a tune of Rs 1 crore from 2019 till date.

Based on the complaint, the Kondurg police registered a case under IPC sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 477-A and took up investigation. Subsequently, as per the orders of the Cyberabad CP, the case was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing, Cyberabad, for further investigation. The EOW team probed the case and apprehended the accused on February 25.

Srisailam allegedly used the funds to purchase 2.35 guntas of agriculture land in Kondurg village, 8.20 guntas of agriculture land in Thummalapally village, and an open plot measuring 183 square yards in Kadthal village. All the properties were purchased on the name of his wife Maheshwari.

The case is being investigated by A Sreedhar, Inspector, Economic Offences Wing, Cyberabad, under the supervision of K Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, EOW, Cyberabad.