Telangana ACB awaits prosecution nod in 800 graft cases
HYDERABAD: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been waiting for prosecution clearance in nearly 800 corruption cases registered in Telangana since the formation of the state in 2014.
The agency has trapped hundreds of government officials and staff from various departments while accepting bribes and exposed disproportionate assets through raids. However, the process has stalled at departmental inquiries as the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government did not grant prosecution sanction.
Cases limited to internal inquiries
Sources said many officers caught red-handed were let off with only internal probes or referred to the Commissioner of Enquiries. In several cases, employees who were trapped two or three times continued in service without facing prosecution. Critics alleged that this has emboldened corrupt officials instead of deterring them.
Influence and pressure alleged
According to ACB officials, some accused managed to weaken cases through political influence and bureaucratic pressure. Cases remained pending for years in the state secretariat without final sanction. As a result, corruption has persisted in key departments such as municipal and revenue, despite repeated ACB action.
Observers noted that signals from senior political leaders, ministers, MPs, MLAs and senior officers suggesting that getting caught by the ACB had no serious consequence further eroded fear among officials.
