Hyderabad: Two Armed Reserve sub-inspectors (SIs) posted with the Cyber Crime police station of Malkajgiri police commissionerate were arrested by Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of 1 lakh from an accused in a cyber-crime case.The two 2020 batch SIs, Pramod Goud and Jatavath Babu Naik, were caught in a trap laid by ACB officers at LB Nagar crossroads, the bureau said in a statement.Investigators said the duo sought the alleged bribe to issue a notice to the complainant under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita instead of arresting him in a cyber fraud case registered in 2025 at the Cyber Crime PS of the then Rachakonda commissionerate.ACB officers said Naik received the cash on behalf of both SIs. The entire sum, treated with a chemical marker, was recovered from his possession in the presence of independent witnesses. “The accused officers performed their duties improperly and dishonestly to obtain undue advantage,” the release stated.Following the seizure, Goud and Naik were arrested and they would be produced before the special court for SPE and ACB cases for judicial remand on Tuesday.In 2025, a victim lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime police alleging that he had lost 1.8 crore in a cyber fraud. Out of the 1.8 crore, 2 lakh was transferred into the bank account of the complainant, who runs bricks business. He was added as an accused in the case for operating the ‘mule’ account to receive crime proceeds.“The two SIs had demanded 3 lakh in cash. Out of the demanded amount 1 lakh was their bribe and 2 lakh was supposed to be returned to the victim of the cyber fraud. But the complainant only took the bribe amount and we arrested the accused when the bribe was accepted,” an ACB officer said.The bureau has booked the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act. ACB reiterated its appeal to the public to report any demand for illicit gratification on the Bureau’s toll-free helpline – 1064, or through WhatsApp at – 94404 46106 or via its verified social-media handles, assuring that complainants’ identities would remain confidential.
