Agri asst director lands in ACB net; nearly 100 acres, 5 cars among assets unearthed so far

Hyderabad: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths have arrested Sundari Kiran Kumar, an assistant director of agriculture in Nagarkurnool district, after unearthing disproportionate assets worth 40 crore allegedly belonging to him.ACB teams conducted simultaneous searches at eight places, including Kumar's house in Ponugodu village of Suryapet district and seven other premises linked to his relatives and associates in Hyderabad and the erstwhile Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts. Kumar joined govt service in 2005 as a mandal agriculture officer and was currently working as assistant director of agriculture for Kalwakurthy division in Nagarkurnool.
During the searches, ACB teams unearthed 97 acres and three guntas of agricultural land in Mahabubnagar, Mahabubabad, Nalgonda and Suryapet, three plots in Hyderabad and Suryapet, two flats in Kondapur and LB Nagar, an independent house in Ponugodu and five cars, including an SUV. Investigators also seized evidence pertaining to insurance policies worth 5.5 lakh and investments of 50 lakh belonging to Kumar and family members."The documentary value of the unearthed assets is 4 crore while its market value is 10 times higher," ACB said in an official statement. A case was booked under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Kumar. ACB officials said further scrutiny was underway to trace additional assets, verify financial records and compute the exact extent of alleged illegitimate enrichment.Kumar, 51, with over two decades in the agriculture department, was present during the searches at Ponugodu, which continued late into the evening. Kumar was arrested and he would be produced before the Nampally ACB court magistrate for judicial remand.The bureau reiterated its appeal to public to report any demand for bribes by calling its toll-free helpline ‘1064', messaging on WhatsApp at: 94404-46106 or reaching out via Facebook and X. Complainants' identities would be kept confidential, officials assured.