ACB Arrests Vizag Ward Secretary for Demanding Rs 80,000 Bribe in Property Mutation Case
In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials in Visakhapatnam arrested Pyla Rajesh, the Ward Education and Data Processing Secretary at the Lalithanagar secretariat in Akkayyapalem, Vizag city, on Monday. The arrest was made after Rajesh was caught red-handed demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 80,000 from a complainant in exchange for processing an official property mutation request.
Details of the Bribery Case
The complaint was filed by Dwarapureddy Akshay Ganesh, a resident of Sivajipalem in Vizag city. According to the ACB officials, the case revolves around a property owned by Ganesh's paternal grandmother, Dwarapureddy Gangarajyam. She owns an old house measuring 526.26 square yards under the Lalithanagar secretariat limits at Akkayyapalem in Vizag. Gangarajyam has been regularly paying the house tax and water tax for this property.
On December 30, 2025, Gangarajyam executed a settlement deed in favour of Varaha Trinadh Ganesh, the father of Akshay Ganesh, and registered it at the sub-registrar office in Vizag. To update the municipal records with his father's name in place of his grandmother's, Akshay Ganesh applied for mutation on February 10, 2026.
How the Bribe Was Demanded
Pyla Rajesh, the Ward Education and Data Processing Secretary, informed the complainant that an amount of Rs 45,000 was required to be paid towards a challan for the mutation process. Shockingly, Rajesh further demanded a bribe of Rs 90,000, which was double the challan amount, to process the application and ensure its completion. After negotiations, he agreed to accept a reduced bribe of Rs 80,000.
Unwilling to pay the kickback, Akshay Ganesh approached the ACB officials. The ACB team verified the facts and laid a trap to catch Rajesh in the act. He was arrested while accepting the bribe at his office. Following the arrest, searches were conducted at both his residential and office premises as part of the ongoing investigation.
Background of the Accused
Pyla Rajesh was appointed as a Ward Education and Data Processing Secretary in 2019. He had previously worked at the Seethammadhara area in Vizag city until July 2025 before being transferred to the Lalithanagar secretariat. This arrest highlights the ACB's continued efforts to combat corruption in public offices, particularly in cases involving official favours and property-related matters.
The ACB officials have emphasized that such actions will be taken against any public servant found engaging in corrupt practices, urging citizens to report similar incidents to help maintain integrity in governance.
