HANAMKONDA: A routine application for renewing a school’s permission in Telangana’s district spiraled into a corruption case that now threatens to expose deeper irregularities within a key local education office. What unfolded over several weeks delayed paperwork, shifting demands, and a carefully executed trap offers a rare glimpse into how petty bribery can silently shape public services.
Bribe Demand Emerges After Routine Application Stalls
When the Creative Private School in Kothur village filed its online request to renew its permission nearly a month ago, administrators expected the process to move quickly. The Mandal Education Officer (MEO) completed the required inspection and forwarded the file to the District Education Office (DEO), where it remained untouched for more than 10 days.
With classes underway and renewal deadlines tightening, the school correspondent approached the department for an update. Instead of clarity, he was met with an alleged demand: two section clerks identified as Ghouse and Manoj insisted that ₹1 lakh was needed to “clear” the file in the Additional Collector’s office. According to the complaint later filed, the message was unambiguous: without payment, the renewal would remain pending indefinitely.
From Delays to Direct Pressure Inside the Collector’s Office
Unable to meet the sum, the correspondent took the unusual step of visiting Additional Collector–cum–District Education Officer Venkat Reddy directly. He is said to have informed the senior official of the demand and sought intervention. The officer reportedly assured him that he would “look into the matter,” but the file continued to languish.
Two days later, the clerks allegedly returned with a revised offer. The price, they said, had been reduced to ₹60,000. For the school, the delay threatened daily operations, leaving the correspondent with little choice. Instead of agreeing to pay, however, he contacted the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), setting in motion a plan that would quietly unfold at the district office.
A Carefully Laid Trap and the Moment of Arrest
On Friday morning, under instructions from the ACB, the school correspondent arrived at the District Education Office carrying trap money. Officers had provided clear guidance: confirm cash availability, allow the transaction to proceed, and wait for the signal.
As the correspondent waited, the clerks allegedly stepped into the Additional Collector’s chamber before returning to collect the ₹60,000. ACB officials then moved swiftly. In a raid that unfolded inside the office, they caught the clerks red-handed with tainted currency. During questioning, both reportedly admitted the money was being collected under instructions from Additional Collector Venkat Reddy.
Officials seized the marked cash and secured the premises as teams began cross-verifying files, correspondence, and procedural logs to determine whether similar demands had been made in other cases
Officials Remanded as Probe Expands Beyond a Single School
By evening, Venkat Reddy and clerks Ghouse and Manoj had been arrested and remanded for further legal proceedings. ACB DSP Sambaiah confirmed that all three were apprehended during the operation and that preliminary evidence suggested the alleged bribery may not be an isolated incident.
Investigators are now examining whether the trio solicited payments in other school-permission and administrative matters. The scrutiny extends to internal communication trails, office workflows, and the roles of additional staff who may have facilitated or witnessed similar transactions.
