ACB arrests 2 officials for taking bribe in Vizianagaram

Visakhapatnam: The officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Palli Gowtham, assistant executive engineer and Pediredla Santhosh, work inspector or technical assistant (outsourcing), working in the mandal engineering office (MEO), panchayat raj department in Mentada of Vizianagaram district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.2 lakh from a complainant for doing an official's favour.The ACB officials said Regidi Rambabu, a resident of Mentada and gram surpanch, constructed two community centre buildings in Mentada village in Nov 2025, under the gram panchayat general funds of Rs 2.2 lakh. In addition, in March 2026, he laid a CC road in Mentada village under the 15th Finance Commission fund, for Rs 3 lakh.Palli Gowtham and Pediredla Santhosh inspected the newly constructed buildings and the newly laid CC road, and they have suggested certain patchworks. Rambabu completed the works and approached Palli Gowtham to release the amount linked to the executed works. However, Santhosh demanded Rs 1.2 lakh as a bribe for processing and release of the amount.Based on the complaint from Rambabu, the ACB officials laid a trap and nabbed Gowtham and Santhosh when they were accepting the bribe of Rs 1.2 lakh from Rambabu. eom