Telangana union urges KCR to clear employees of false ACB cases

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Udyogula Sangham on Tuesday urged Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to direct the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to complete the investigation of the cases under its jurisdiction within a year or two depending on the severity of the cases and clear those innocent of charges.

The sangham said that several employees who had been framed in ACB cases are living in fear of losing their jobs, pensions, and even lives as the investigation is taking too long.

Addressing the media at Somajiguda Press Club on Tuesday, A Padma Chary, honorary chairperson of the organisation said that employees who were active in the Telangana movement were targeted by the erstwhile AP government. Since the formation of the State in 2014, he said that 400 government employees were booked under various ACB-related cases, and many of them have been suffering because of the delay in the investigation and disposal of cases. Padma Chary also said that that though Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had promised action after coming to power, these cases still remain unresolved.

Pointing out that ACB sleuths had raided former Jalpally Municipal Commissioner G Praveen Kumar’s house in a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case in June, Chary said that based on a complaint by his rivals, the officers had falsely implicated him in the case and lodged the officer in jail. “The ACB officers not only assaulted Praveen Kumar and his family members but also leaked to the media that Rs 5 crore in cash was found inside his house. In reality, they found only Rs 10,000. Praveen Kumar has gone to the court seeking action against the ACB,” Chary said.

‘Several employees driven to suicide’
“For DA cases, there is a procedure which needs to be followed. Our annual confidential reports are available with the concerned departments which they can verify to see our assets and earnings. Attaching the salary accounts is causing suffering among the families of the affected employees. Some people are not receiving their post-retirement pensions. There were instances of a few employees dying by suicide unable to bear the disgrace even though they were honest,” he said.

Chary said that since 2014, there were 400 government employees against whom cases were filed by ACB, and in most of the cases, the investigation is still pending. “We don’t want the corrupt to get away, but why should the innocent suffer,” he asked.