Vizag: ACB unearths Rs 20 Cr illegal assets of VMRDA planning officer

Visakhapatnam: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested Vardhanapu Sobhan Babu, planning officer of Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) for amassing illegal assets worth Rs 20 crore.

ACB officials carried out searches at the residences of Sobhan Babu in Vizag, Gajuwaka, and Palakollu after receiving a tip-off that he has amassed assets disproportionate to the known sources of income.

Preliminary investigation revealed that he has disproportionate assets (movable and immovable) worth Rs2.07 crore as per registration value. The market value of these assets is said to be over Rs 20 crore.

A native of Penumanchi Village under Achanta Mandal in West Godavari District, the 55-year-old Sobhan Babu joined government service in 1987 as Town Planning and Building Overseer. He was promoted to Town Planning Supervisor in 1997.

Later he was promoted as Town Planning Officer in 2009. Six years after, he was promoted to Assistant Director. Presently he is working as Planning Officer, at Visakhapatnam Municipal Region Development Authority, Visakhapatnam.

It was revealed that Vardhanapu Sobhan Babu and his family members own three flats, a vacant site, a mango tope, one four-wheeler, 2 two-wheelers, electrical gadgets, gold, bank balances, household articles, and cash.

The AO is being produced before the Special Judge SPE & ACB Cases, Visakhapatnam.