Balakrishna allegedly demanded plots or flats as his ‘commission’ in lieu of giving approval.Balakrishna, who worked in RERA, which comes under the MA&UD ministry that was headed by then minister K.T. Rama Rao, allegedly formed a team comprising town planning officers to harass builders and demand kickbacks.
In their preliminary probe, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials have found irregularities in HMDA and TSRERA, where the accused officer was posted.
ACB officials, who arrested Balakrishna for amassing illegal assets, have focused on his bank transactions, suspecting that the accused officer might have exchanged Rs 500 denomination with the Rs 2,000 denomination deposits in different banks with help from his close associates.
The fifth floor of HMDA office was the place where Balakrishna, the then planning director, allowed a select few persons to meet him.Balakrishna had links with more than 30 officers, including town planning officers working in the directorate of town and country planning, GHMC, HMDA, commissioner and director of municipal administration and MA&UD, sources said.
The movements of all these officers are being monitored by the agency officials.
Some of them have switched off their mobile phones following raids on Balakrishna’s properties.ACB officials also made attempts to retrieve WhatsApp, call data and text messages of the accused to try and trace his benami deals. The officials are likely to take police custody of Balakrishna, in whose presence they are likely open his bank lockers.
