Hyderabad: CPWD ex-executive engineer Sai Komareswar, wife Padmavathi, booked for money laundering

Hyderabad: Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has filed a prosecution complaint against P Sai Komareswar, a former Executive Engineer with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and his wife, P Padmavathi.

The complaint was filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002,

The complaint was submitted before the Special PMLA Court in Hyderabad, which took cognizance of it on July 30, 2025.

CBI trap case leads to ED action

The ED launched its investigation based on a chargesheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Hyderabad. Komareswar was accused of demanding and accepting a bribe from a contractor in exchange for clearing bills during his tenure with the CPWD.

Searches conducted by the CBI at the couple's residence led to the seizure of Rs 30.5 lakh in cash, incriminating documents, and a locker key. Following this, the CBI filed a chargesheet under section 12 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Suspicious property deals and unverified loans

According to the ED, the couple acquired four immovable properties in rapid succession. Payments for two of these properties were made in cash and through unsecured loans that were allegedly taken from various individuals.

However, investigations revealed that these loans remained unpaid for over 5–6 years, despite the couple holding liquid assets worth over Rs 1.39 crore in the stock market.

The couple failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the source of the seized cash or the identities of the lenders. The ED concluded that the funds were proceeds of crime, which were reintroduced into the banking system to appear legitimate before being used for property purchases.

Properties attached

Earlier in the investigation, the ED had attached three immovable properties valued at Rs 1.26 crore, equivalent to the estimated value of the proceeds of crime, the officials said in a press release.