ACB raid on excise clerk reveals assets over 50 crore-ToI-24.2.12

Swoop On Excise Assistant, Ex-ACB Inspector Leads To Astounding Haul

Guntur: The ongoing raids against the liquor syndicates by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) netted a big shark on Thursday. A low-level excise official – Settipalli Seshagiri Rao, a junior assistant in the department for 33 years and about to retire in May – was found to possess illegal assets worth more than Rs 50 crore. ACB officials believe the sum could even touch Rs 70 crore. 
    Seshagiri was raided along with other excise officials, including his head constable brother Sekhar, another constable Subbarao and police inspector Mallikharjuna Rao, who, incidentally, was with the ACB till last week. Inspector Rao was found to have illegal assets worth Rs 30 crore. According to sources, Mallikharjuna had played a big role in keeping the files pertaining to Seshagiri under wraps and leaking information on raids to liquor syndicates. And when ACB got wind of the whole affair, it first repatriated Mallikharjuna to his parent police department and then launched simultaneous raids on all of them. 
    According to officials, Seshagiri’s role came under the scanner when he forcibly transferred a shop licence with forged documents a few months ago. Excise commissioner Sameer Sharma had written to the ACB to probe his role in Dec 2011. “Also, the confession report of liquor syndicate leader Marri Subbareddy nailed Seshagiri,” an excise official said. 
    His clout was such that even deputy commissioners never dared to shift him as he was their money spinner and the raid has sent shockwaves in the department, sources said. “He used to call the shots in the entire zone comprising Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts as he has been the confidential clerk (CC) in the deputy commissioner’s office all through his service,” a source said. The brothers are alleged to have acted as chief agents between senior officials and the liquor syndicates. 
    The documents seized by ACB officials reveal that Seshagiri had even invested Rs 8 crore to bag liquor shop licences in the past two years. Excise clerk paid huge money for son’s medical seat 
    His brother Sekhar too has major shares in the liquor syndicate. “Seshagir has also been active in settling disputes among various syndicates,” an official said 
    Among the riches unearthed by ACB are two big shopping complexes in Guntur with benami owners and a property worth Rs 75 lakh in the prime Brodipet area. Seshagiri is also accused of raking a cool Rs 50 lakh by illegally transferring a partnership licence to one of his friends without the actual partners’ knowledge. 
    He is also reported to have paid a huge donation to get his son into a private medical college in Chennai. In the raid on inspector Mallikharjuna, ACB officials recovered gold jewellery and other valuables from his Krishnanagar residence in Guntur. ACB sources said he has benami properties in Kakinada, Nellore, Addanki and Ongole, besidesGuntur.A prime property located in Lakshmipuram in Guntur is registered in the name of his brother. 
    ACB also suspects Mallikharjuna of sharing vital information with the liquor syndicates before last month’s searches in Guntur. ACB bosses believe that several kingpins in the liquor racket had escaped and documents destroyed thanks to Mallikarjuna’s ‘active’ support. “We have unearthed disproportionate assets. We will book him under relevant sections,” said ACB joint director Sampath Kumar who led the raids on Thursday.