Ex-Chief Engineer Arrested In Telangana Irrigation Scam

As part of the ongoing crackdown on corruption within the state's irrigation department, the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested former Engineer-in-Chief of the Irrigation Department, Muralidhar Rao, in connection with a disproportionate assets case. The arrest came after the ACB conducted simultaneous searches at ten locations linked to Mr Rao across Hyderabad, Karimnagar, and Zaheerabad on Tuesday.

These raids, which began in the early hours, targeted Mr Rao's residence in Banjara Hills and other properties associated with him and his relatives. The ACB is also said to be searching the office of his son, Abhishek, on the suspicion that money illegally earned through transactions related to the Kaleshwaram project had been diverted into his business too.

ACB officials stated that a case has been registered against Mr Rao under the Prevention of Corruption Act, based on the initial evidence suggesting he accumulated wealth far exceeding his known sources of income during his tenure. Mr Rao is currently in ACB custody and undergoing questioning.

This arrest follows closely on the heels of another high-profile case involving Nune Sridhar, an Executive Engineer with the Irrigation Department who was involved in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). Mr Sridhar was arrested in June 2025 after ACB raids uncovered assets estimated to be worth around Rs 60 crore (documentary value of DA at Rs 9 crore, market value around Rs 60 crore), disproportionate to his known income. Mr Sridhar is currently in judicial remand.

The ACB's intensified efforts are part of a broader initiative to tackle corruption within the irrigation department, particularly scrutinising officials linked to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, which has faced allegations of irregularities. This, even as the Justice Ghose committee before which former Telangana CM KCR appeared, is expected to give its report by the month-end.