Mission Bhagiratha official caught taking bribe via UPI

A Deputy Executive Engineer with Mission Bhagiratha (INTRA) in Jangaon district was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10,000 through a digital transaction.

The accused, identified as 45-year-old Kunamalla Sandhya Rani, was trapped by ACB Warangal officials at around 5.10 p.m. at her office in Palakurthy sub-division.

According to officials, Ms. Sandhya Rani had allegedly demanded the bribe from a complainant for checking measurements of M-Books and final bills related to three Mission Bhagiratha pipeline works executed at Devuruppula mandal, and forwarding them to the Executive Engineer. The bribe was reportedly transferred via PhonePe to the mobile number of her private assistant, Mahendar.

Investigators said that the complainant had forwarded the PhonePe transaction screenshot to the officer’s phone through WhatsApp. Sandhya Rani has been arrested and produced before the special court for SPE and ACB cases in Warangal. The investigation is ongoing, while the identity of the complainant has been withheld for security reasons.

The ACB has urged the public to report any demand for bribes by public servants through its toll-free number 1064. Complaints can also be lodged via WhatsApp, Facebook or X, with assurances that the identity of complainants will be kept confidential.