MAHBUBNAGAR: What began as a routine vigilance inquiry into a district-level transport official has widened into a sprawling investigation of hidden assets, alleged benami ownership and a vanished driver, revealing how wealth can be quietly accumulated and obscured within India’s bureaucracy.
A Probe That Opened Multiple Doors
When officers of Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) initiated searches connected to Mood Kishan, a Deputy Transport Commissioner posted in Mahabubnagar district, they were pursuing a familiar line of inquiry: a disproportionate assets case. What they encountered instead was a web of properties, vehicles and financial holdings that investigators say far exceeded the officer’s known sources of income.
According to the ACB, Kishan’s assets—when assessed at prevailing market rates—could be worth more than ₹100 crore, even though their documented value stands at about ₹12.72 crore. Such disparities are not unusual in corruption investigations, where undervaluation on paper often contrasts sharply with real estate prices on the ground. But the scale of the alleged holdings, spread across districts and asset classes, immediately set this case apart.
Searches were conducted at Kishan’s residence and at 11 other locations linked to him, his relatives and associates. Officials say both movable and immovable properties were unearthed during the operation, suggesting what one investigator described privately as “systematic accumulation over time rather than a single windfall.”
The Assets, On Paper and Beyond
The inventory drawn up by investigators reads like a catalogue of diversified wealth. In Sangareddy district, Kishan is said to hold 31 acres of agricultural land, estimated alone to be worth over ₹60 crore. In Nizamabad, officials point to 10 acres of commercial land. There are also two flats in Ashoka Township, a 50 per cent stake in Lahari International Hotel and roughly 3,000 square yards of premium furniture showroom space.
Beyond real estate, the ACB reports the recovery of two four-wheelers—an Innova Crysta and a Honda City—along with more than one kilogram of gold ornaments. Bank records, investigators say, show balances totalling around ₹1.37 crore.
Such findings echo patterns seen in other high-profile vigilance cases in Telangana and neighbouring states, where land holdings, hospitality ventures and cash deposits often form the backbone of alleged illicit wealth. Last year, in a separate case, the ACB claimed to have uncovered assets worth ₹250 crore linked to a town planning official in Hyderabad, underscoring what officials describe as a persistent challenge in enforcing financial probity
The Driver and the Question of Benami Ownership
As the investigation deepened, attention shifted to a figure far removed from the formal hierarchy of the transport department: Kishan’s driver, Enugu Shivshankar. Investigators suspect that Shivshankar was acting as a benami—holding assets in his name on behalf of the official.
Some properties and at least three cars, officials allege, were registered under the driver’s name. The suspicion gained urgency when Shivshankar went missing shortly after the ACB began its searches. His absence has complicated efforts to trace ownership trails and financial flows, prompting officials to intensify efforts to locate and question him.
According to investigators, Shivshankar had been living in a luxury house in Hyderabad’s Alwal area, telling neighbours and tenants that he worked as a software professional. Such claims, officials say, are now being examined alongside bank transactions and property documents to determine whether he served as a front to mask Kishan’s holdings
A Familiar Pattern in Vigilance Cases
The ACB has emphasized that the inquiry remains ongoing, with further questioning and financial analysis expected. Officials are also examining links between Kishan’s assets and his past postings, seeking to map how wealth may have accumulated over time.
