Telangana ACB arrests Nizamabad excise officer in ₹3 crore assets case
Synopsis
Telangana's ACB has arrested a Nizamabad excise superintendent after raids across 11 premises turned up ₹3 crore in documented assets — with market value likely far higher. Coming just a week after a ₹13 crore assets case against a senior land official, the arrests point to a sustained anti-corruption sweep targeting state government officers.
Key Takeaways
Kommuri Mallareddy , Excise Superintendent, Nizamabad , was arrested by the Telangana ACB on 23 June in a disproportionate assets case.
Raids covered 11 premises ; assets detected include 5 structures , 8 open plots , and 10.23 acres of agricultural land.
Cash of approximately ₹3.31 lakh , bank balances of ₹50 lakh , and 3 bank lockers were found; total documented asset value is approximately ₹3 crore .
Case registered under Section 13(1)(b) r/w 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended 2018).
Arrest follows the ACB's detention last week of Sunkari Narahari , Deputy Director of Lands and Surveys, whose assets exceeded ₹13 crore .
Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday, 23 June arrested Kommuri Mallareddy, Excise Superintendent at the District Prohibition and Excise Office, Nizamabad, in a disproportionate assets case. The arrest followed simultaneous searches at 11 premises linked to Mallareddy, his relatives, benamis, and associates.
What the Raids Uncovered
ACB officials detected five structures — four residential houses and one commercial block — along with eight open plots and 10.23 acres of agricultural land during the searches. Investigators also recovered net cash of approximately ₹3.31 lakh and found bank balances totalling ₹50 lakh.
Three bank lockers registered in the names of the accused officer's wife and family members were also identified. These lockers are yet to be opened and will be examined during the course of the investigation. One Grand Vitara car and one TVS Scooty were among the movable assets seized.
Scale of Alleged Corruption
The total value of assets detected during the searches stands at approximately ₹3 crore on document value alone. The ACB noted that the market value of the immovable properties is expected to be significantly higher. Further verification of additional assets is reportedly underway.
The bureau booked the case under Section 13(1)(b) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, which deals with criminal misconduct by public servants through acquiring assets disproportionate to known income sources.
Legal Proceedings
Mallareddy is being produced before the Second Additional Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases for judicial remand. The ACB stated that the officer allegedly acquired the assets through corrupt practices and dubious means during his service tenure.
Part of a Wider Anti-Corruption Drive
This arrest comes just a week after the ACB detained Sunkari Narahari, Deputy Director of Lands and Surveys (Multi Zone-2), in a separate disproportionate assets case. Searches at Narahari's premises unearthed assets of over ₹13 crore, including net cash of ₹1.54 crore, bank balances of ₹2.29 crore, fixed deposits of ₹5.04 crore, gold ornaments weighing approximately 1.3 kg, and 8 kg of silver.
Subsequent searches of two bank lockers in Narahari's wife's name revealed an additional ₹1.50 crore cash, 12 gold biscuits each weighing 100 grams, and gold and diamond ornaments together weighing about 2 kg. The back-to-back arrests signal a sustained enforcement push by the Telangana ACB against state government officials.
Point of View
One from lands and surveys — suggests the Telangana ACB is not pursuing isolated cases but working through a target list. What is notable is the profile of the accused: mid-level field officers with discretionary powers over licensing and land records, precisely the positions most exposed to rent-seeking. The ₹3 crore documented figure for the excise officer is almost certainly an undercount given the ACB's own caveat that market values will far exceed document values. Whether these arrests translate into convictions — historically a weak link in Indian anti-corruption enforcement — will determine whether this is a genuine accountability drive or a selective political signal.
NationPress
23 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kommuri Mallareddy and why was he arrested?
Kommuri Mallareddy is the Excise Superintendent at the District Prohibition and Excise Office in Nizamabad, Telangana. He was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on 23 June in a disproportionate assets case, with the ACB alleging he accumulated assets far beyond his known income through corrupt practices during his service.
What assets were found during the ACB raids on Mallareddy?
Searches across 11 premises uncovered five structures (four residential houses and one commercial block), eight open plots, 10.23 acres of agricultural land, approximately ₹3.31 lakh in cash, and bank balances of ₹50 lakh. Three bank lockers, a Grand Vitara car, and a TVS Scooty were also identified. Total documented asset value is approximately ₹3 crore.
What law has the ACB invoked in this case?
The ACB registered the case under Section 13(1)(b) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018. This provision deals with criminal misconduct by a public servant who acquires assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
Is this part of a broader anti-corruption drive in Telangana?
Yes. Just a week before Mallareddy's arrest, the ACB detained Sunkari Narahari, Deputy Director of Lands and Surveys (Multi Zone-2), in a separate disproportionate assets case where assets exceeding ₹13 crore were discovered. The consecutive arrests indicate a sustained enforcement push against state officials.
What happens next in the Mallareddy case?
Mallareddy is being produced before the Second Additional Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases for judicial remand. The three bank lockers identified during the raids are yet to be opened and will be examined as the investigation continues. The ACB has also said verification of additional assets is ongoing.
