Hyderabad: Exhibition Society Documents Seized
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which is conducting searches at the office of the Exhibition Society in Nampally following allegations of financial irregularities, reportedly collected key documents during searches on Saturday.
The action followed a complaint that the irregularities took place when the former Health Minister Eatala Rajender was the president of the society. After he was expelled from the Cabinet, Rajender resigned from the post of the society president.
Officials said the documents would enable the ACB to nail those who allegedly committed irregularities even as the society office-bearers refuted allegations pertaining to funds irregularities.
The ACB has been conducting searches at the society office for the last three days and collecting details on seven key issues, including the appointment of the society college management members. They were also gathering information about two other societies along with the Exhibition Society.
During the searches, the officials recovered documents pertaining to payment of Rs 12 lakh to a public prosecutor. “We are collecting more information from the society officer-bearers and the reasons behind paying money to the public prosecutor,” an official said.
According to officials, membership was given to several other persons unilaterally and unnecessary expenditure was shown in the society’s annual report. The auditing was also not done properly.
In a letter addressed to the society secretary in May 2021, Roads and Buildings Executive Engineer, Central Buildings Division, I Narasinga Rao said the society had failed to comply with the instructions issued to stall illegal construction taken up on the premises.
“It’s a clear violation and attracts legal action,” Rao said, adding that the construction activity was progressing rapidly without any clearance from the department. As such the construction was treated as illegal and is liable for demolition. He asked the secretary to stall the work.
When contacted, society secretary Prabha Shankar refuted reports of irregularities in the society. The allegations levelled in the complaint were far from truth, he maintained.
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