HYDERABAD: Four days after anti-corruption raids unearthed an alleged empire of high-value assets linked to him, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested deputy superintendent of police (Telangana Police Computer Services) Sankireddy Bheem Reddy in the disproportionate assets case.The arrest came after days of speculation over why the senior police officer had not been taken into custody immediately following the July 2 searches, which allegedly uncovered assets worth at least Rs 150 crore spread across Telangana and Karnataka.According to ACB sources, Bheem Reddy was not arrested earlier as his blood pressure reportedly shot up during the raids, following which he was admitted to a hospital.“Since he was in hospital, we could not arrest him. On Monday, we got information that he was discharged and then we took him into custody,” sources told TOI.The arrest follows extensive searches at multiple locations, including the luxury villa where Bheem Reddy had been living in the Vessella Meadows gated community near Ibrahim Bagh, Narsingi.During the preliminary investigation, ACB officials allegedly found that the officer had for years maintained a lavish lifestyle far beyond his known sources of income.According to investigators, Bheem Reddy regularly travelled in luxury cars and initially lived in an upscale apartment in Gachibowli before shifting, more than a year ago, to an expensive villa near Taramati Baradari.“He has been known for more than a decade to travel in luxury cars, and his lifestyle has often been a subject of discussion. He is also known for his networking skills,” a source had told TOI.Investigators believe it would be difficult for the officer to explain how he acquired the villa and several other properties allegedly held in the names of benamis.According to ACB officials, nearly 20 immovable properties identified during the searches are largely registered in the names of alleged benamidars. While the current estimate values the assets at around Rs 150 crore, officials said more properties are likely to surface as the investigation progresses.Among the alleged benamis under the scanner are a Patancheru resident, who claims to be engaged in the real estate and construction business, and a former home guard who resigned from service. Investigators suspect both may have held properties on behalf of Bheem Reddy.The probe has also uncovered land parcels in Telangana and neighbouring Karnataka, some of which were allegedly purchased more than a decade ago.One of the key pieces of evidence recovered during the investigation is a handwritten diary that Bheem Reddy allegedly prepared before leaving for the Char Dham Yatra with his wife in May.According to investigators, the diary listed nearly 20 assets, outstanding receivables and liabilities, and even contained instructions on how the properties should be distributed among family members.Photographs of the diary pages were allegedly scanned and shared with his two sons through WhatsApp before the pilgrimage.The diary reportedly mentions two flats in Tellapur allegedly held in the name of a watchman, a share in a G+5 commercial complex on Lanco Hills Road in Manikonda, a G+2 building with a penthouse in Telecom Nagar, Gachibowli, 45 acres of land in Zaheerabad and adjoining areas of Karnataka allegedly held through a former home guard, two acres of agricultural land in Mominpet, 4.2 acres in Muchintal, a Rs 2 crore business investment and Rs 60 lakh earmarked for the purchase of a villa.Investigators claim the diary also identified alleged benami holders and mediators familiar with the transactions, providing crucial leads in the disproportionate assets case.The ACB has seized four mobile phones belonging to Bheem Reddy, besides recovering property documents from his villa and from the residence of an alleged business partner in Manikonda. Officials said the business partner’s statement has been recorded on video regarding their financial dealings and ownership of a commercial property.
What ACB claims to have found
- Assets worth at least Rs 150 crore across Telangana and Karnataka (valuation still underway)
- Nearly 20 immovable properties, most allegedly registered in the names of benamis
- Luxury villa in Vessella Meadows gated community, Ibrahim Bagh, Narsingi
- Previously lived in an upscale apartment in Gachibowli
- Regular use of luxury/high-end cars for over a decade, according to investigators
- Two flats in Tellapur, allegedly in the name of a watchman
- Share in a G+5 commercial complex on Lanco Hills Road, Manikonda
- G+2 building with a penthouse in Telecom Nagar, Gachibowli
- 45 acres of land in Zaheerabad and adjoining parts of Karnataka, allegedly held through a former home guard
- Two acres of agricultural land in Mominpet, Vikarabad district
- 4.2 acres of land in Muchintal
- Rs 2 crore investment in a business, mentioned in the diary
- Rs 60 lakh earmarked for the purchase of a villa, according to the diary
- Four mobile phones seized during the searches
- Property documents recovered from his villa and an alleged business partner’s residence in Manikonda
- Handwritten diary allegedly listing nearly 20 assets, receivables, liabilities and instructions on distribution of properties among family members
- WhatsApp messages allegedly sent to his two sons containing photographs of the diary pages before the Char Dham Yatra
