Telangana ACB catches tahsildar accepting ₹2 lakh bribe in Shamirpet
Synopsis
Telangana's ACB made two bribery arrests on 26 May — a tahsildar who allegedly demanded ₹30 lakh for NALA land conversion and pocketed ₹2 lakh through her own driver, and a mandal surveyor caught with ₹10,000 in a separate sting. Both cases expose how routine revenue services in fast-developing districts around Hyderabad have become corruption hotspots.
Key Takeaways
Suchitra , Tahsildar of Shamirpet Mandal , was arrested on 26 May for accepting ₹2 lakh as part payment of an alleged ₹30 lakh bribe.
The bribe was routed through her private driver, V.
Nagesh , who was also arrested.
The demand was linked to NALA conversion of 30 acres of agricultural land in Medchal Malkajgiri district .
Kammari Brahmaiah , Mandal Surveyor of Waddepally Mandal , was separately arrested for accepting ₹10,000 of an alleged ₹15,000 demand for a land survey.
Both accused were produced before the Additional Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases at Nampally for judicial remand.
Citizens can report bribe demands to the ACB toll-free number 1064 .
Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday, 26 May arrested a tahsildar red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh in Medchal Malkajgiri district, in one of two graft cases the agency cracked on the same day. The arrest underscores the ACB's continuing crackdown on land-related corruption in the state.
The Shamirpet Tahsildar Case
T. Suchitra, serving as Tahsildar, Executive Magistrate, and Joint Sub-Registrar of Shamirpet Mandal, had allegedly demanded a ₹30 lakh bribe to facilitate the conversion of 30 acres of agricultural land under the Non-Agricultural Land Assessment (NALA) framework. According to the ACB, the ₹2 lakh recovered on Tuesday was accepted as a part payment, channelled through her private driver, V. Nagesh.
The tainted cash was recovered from Nagesh's possession. Both Suchitra and Nagesh were subsequently arrested and produced before the Additional Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases at Nampally for judicial remand. The complainant's identity has been withheld for security reasons, and the case remains under investigation.
Second Arrest: Mandal Surveyor in Jogulamba Gadwal
In a separate operation on the same day, the ACB also arrested Kammari Brahmaiah, Mandal Surveyor of Waddepally Mandal in Jogulamba Gadwal district, for accepting a bribe of ₹10,000. He had allegedly demanded ₹15,000 in total for conducting a land survey related to the complainant's parents' property.
According to the ACB, Brahmaiah had earlier accepted ₹5,000 in cash as an advance on 6 May. The remaining ₹10,000 was recovered from his possession during the sting. He was produced before the same Additional Special Judge at Nampally for judicial remand. His case is also under active investigation.
ACB's Stand and Public Advisory
The ACB stated that both accused officers performed their official duties improperly and dishonestly to obtain undue advantage — language that signals charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency reiterated its public advisory, urging citizens who face bribe demands from any public servant to contact the toll-free helpline 1064 for legal action.
Notably, land-conversion and survey-related bribery have been recurring flashpoints in Telangana's anti-corruption cases, with NALA conversion approvals — which convert agricultural plots to non-agricultural use — carrying significant commercial value in fast-developing districts around Hyderabad. As both cases proceed to trial, the ACB's dual-arrest operation on a single day signals intensified enforcement activity in the state's revenue administration.
Point of View
Urban expansion, and discretionary official power, making them a perennial bribery magnet in Hyderabad's peripheral districts. The fact that the ₹2 lakh was routed through a private driver rather than accepted directly suggests a degree of insulation and premeditation that goes beyond opportunistic graft. What the ACB has not addressed publicly is how a demand of ₹30 lakh was negotiated down to a part payment — raising questions about how many such transactions go undetected. Telangana's revenue administration needs systemic digitisation of NALA approvals with audit trails, not just periodic sting operations.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is T. Suchitra and why was she arrested?
T. Suchitra is the Tahsildar, Executive Magistrate, and Joint Sub-Registrar of Shamirpet Mandal in Medchal Malkajgiri district, Telangana. She was arrested on 26 May by the ACB for allegedly accepting ₹2 lakh as part of a ₹30 lakh bribe demanded to approve NALA conversion of 30 acres of agricultural land.
What is NALA conversion and why does it attract bribery?
NALA (Non-Agricultural Land Assessment) conversion is the official process of reclassifying agricultural land for non-agricultural or commercial use. Because approval is discretionary and the land's value rises sharply after conversion — especially in fast-developing districts near Hyderabad — it is a known pressure point for corruption in Telangana's revenue administration.
Was anyone else arrested alongside the tahsildar?
Yes. T. Suchitra's private driver, V. Nagesh, was also arrested, as the ₹2 lakh bribe amount was recovered from his possession. Both were produced before the Additional Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases at Nampally for judicial remand.
What happened in the second ACB case on 26 May?
In a separate operation, the ACB arrested Kammari Brahmaiah, Mandal Surveyor of Waddepally Mandal in Jogulamba Gadwal district, for accepting ₹10,000 as the second instalment of an alleged ₹15,000 bribe for conducting a land survey. He had reportedly accepted ₹5,000 as an advance on 6 May.
How can citizens report bribe demands in Telangana?
The Telangana ACB operates a toll-free helpline at 1064. Citizens who face bribe demands from any public servant can call this number to register a complaint and initiate legal action under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
