The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a deputy director of the Directorate General of Mines Safety in Hyderabad and two others in an alleged bribery case involving ₹2 lakh for a favourable inquiry report into a fatal mining accident in Andhra Pradesh.
The arrested officer was identified as U. Siva Sankar, Deputy Director (Mining), DGMS, posted in the Hyderabad-III region. The CBI also arrested Sidda Venkata Suresh Kumar, a representative of Vasavi Granites, and A. Subhaskar Reddy, an alleged middleman associated with Lotus Enviro Mining Services.
Favourable Report Allegedly Sought After Fatal Mining Accident
According to a CBI statement cited in the report, a fatal accident occurred on June 25, 2026, at a mining quarry in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh.
The agency alleged that representatives of the mining establishment approached the deputy director through a consultant or middleman to secure a favourable inquiry report concerning the accident without implicating the owners of the mining establishment.
Investigators alleged that the middleman had earlier paid ₹1 lakh to the officer as part of an undue advantage for securing a favourable report.
The case subsequently led to an alleged arrangement for another payment to the deputy director.
₹2 Lakh Allegedly Arranged for Report and Quarterly Bribe Payments
According to the CBI statement, ₹2 lakh was subsequently arranged for payment to the Deputy Director (Mining). The money was to be delivered at Ongole on August 17, 2026.
The agency alleged that the payment was intended both for obtaining a favourable inquiry report and towards quarterly bribe payments connected with the private mining establishment and other mines.
The CBI then conducted an operation at the location where the alleged exchange of money was taking place. The officer was allegedly caught while accepting the bribe from the middleman in the presence of the mining company’s representative.
CBI Trap Team Recovers ₹2 Lakh
The CBI said its trap team recovered ₹2 lakh, described as the bribe amount, during the proceedings.
Following the operation, the agency arrested U. Siva Sankar, Sidda Venkata Suresh Kumar and A. Subhaskar Reddy in connection with the alleged bribery arrangement.
The case centres on allegations that money was offered and accepted to influence the inquiry into the June 25 mining accident and prevent the owners of the mining establishment from being implicated. The CBI statement also links the ₹2 lakh payment to alleged quarterly bribe payments concerning the private mining establishment and other mines.
