Ex-Irrigation Chief Engineer Muralidhar Rao Arrested In DA Case

Muralidhar Rao, a retired Engineer-in-Chief of the Irrigation Department, was arrested today by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials in Jubilee Hills on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, after a raid at his house.

According to the officials, a case has been registered against Rao under the Prevention of Corruption Act, following preliminary evidence. He is currently in ACB custody and is being interrogated.

Simultaneous searches are underway at the residences of Rao's relatives and close associates in Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Zaheerabad.

Rao retired in 2013, during the undivided Andhra Pradesh regime, but received multiple extensions. After the formation of Telangana State, his service was extended incrementally for an additional 13 years, and he played a key role in the project's execution during the previous BRS government. He continued in office even after the Congress government assumed power. However, the State government recently removed him following a vigilance report related to the Medigadda project.

The ACB has recently intensified investigations into officials associated with the Kaleshwaram irrigation project. Former Kaleshwaram Engineer-in-Chief Hari Ram and Executive Engineer Nune Sridhar have already been arrested.

The agency is also investigating the office of Rao's son, Abhishek, on suspicion that funds allegedly obtained through irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project may have been diverted into his business.