AP: IPS officer nabbed in disproportionate assets case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday conducted simultaneous searches at the office-cum-residence of J Govindarajulu Murali, superintendent of police, Visakhapatnam Rural, and booked a case of disproportionate assets against him.

In a statement, Anti-Corruption Bureau Director-General S S P Yadav said the Indian Police Service officer is being arrested and he would be produced before the special judge for ACB cases in Hyderabad.

The ACB conducted simultaneous raids at the SP's office-cum-residence at Vizag, his residence at Krishnanagar Colony in Yousufguda area of Hyderabad, as also his relatives' places on the allegations that the SP abused his official position and obtained pecuniary advantage for himself and others, and also acquired "assets disproportionate to his known sources of income."

The searches revealed that he was possessing gold ornaments, cash of Rs 1.47 lakh, land properties, plots in and around Hyderabad, investments in granite industry and in real estate business in Bangalore, besides a Maruti Zen car and household articles all worth Rs 65 lakh, as per preliminary information.

The houses of rowdy-sheeters and land-grabbers who benefited by the acts of the SP were also searched and many documents pertaining to the real estate business and two country-made pistols with 150 live rounds of ammunition were found and these were seized by the circle inspector of police, Bheemili police station in Visakhapatnam district.

The case is under investigation, ACB director-general said.

Incidentally, this is the first case of an IPS officer being booked by the ACB on charges of corruption. J G Murali (aged 55 years) had initially joined the AP Police Service and was promoted to the IPS in 2002.