A Special Judge for ACB cases in Kurnool on Tuesday convicted a village revenue officer (VRO) in a corruption case and sentenced her to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
The accused, Chitrala Gangamma, 50, VRO of Valluru in YSR Kadapa district, was found guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The court also imposed a fine of ₹20,000.
According to the prosecution, Gangamma demanded a bribe of ₹5,000 from farmer P. Mallikharjuna Reddy for processing compensation related to crop loss caused by a proposed 765 KV transmission line passing through his land.
Following a complaint, ACB officials laid a trap and caught the VRO red-handed while accepting the bribe on February 20, 2018. After examining 22 witnesses during the trial, the court found her guilty. Gangamma is currently working at Kamalapuram.
Degree student found dead in hostel room
A second-year degree student was found dead under suspicious circumstances in her hostel room in Anantapur on Tuesday, prompting a police investigation.
According to sources, Nandini (19), a native of Narpala mandal, was pursuing her degree at a private college and staying in the institution’s hostel. Fellow students reportedly found her dead in her room on Tuesday morning and immediately alerted the college and hostel management, who informed the police.
Two-Town police rushed to the spot and conducted a preliminary inquiry. A case was registered based on a complaint lodged by the student’s parents.
Police shifted the body for post-mortem examination and are investigating the circumstances that led to her death. The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained.
Bail rejected for two accused in SUVs clash case
A city court on Tuesday rejected the bail pleas of Bolla Om and Lingamaneni Rohit, accused in the May 22 SUV-ramming incident on Patamata High Tension Road in Vijayawada.
The court also postponed to Wednesday the hearing on a police petition seeking five days’ custody of the duo for further interrogation. The accused were arrested and remanded after allegedly chasing and ramming their Thar SUVs into each other following a dispute, causing panic among motorists.
Youth killed in lightning strike
A 24-year-old shepherd was killed after being struck by lightning at Gogulampadu Kothuru, a hamlet of Chintalapudi village, on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Gangula Alia Babu. According to sources, he had taken his sheep for grazing when a sudden rainstorm accompanied by thunder and lightning hit the area in the afternoon. While tending to the flock, he was struck by lightning and died on the spot.
Meanwhile, rains accompanied by thunder and lightning brought respite from the scorching summer heat in the erstwhile East and West Godavari districts. However, the relief was short-lived as high humidity and the absence of breeze left residents feeling uncomfortable. Several areas received moderate rainfall during the day.
6 cricket bookies arrested in Proddatur raid
In a major crackdown on illegal cricket betting, Proddatur police arrested six bookies and seized ₹2.20 lakh in cash, 10 mobile phones and a laptop during a raid on Tuesday.
ASP Vibhu Krishna said the operation was carried out based on prior intelligence after police monitored the group’s activities. Authorities also froze bank accounts linked to the accused containing ₹4.14 lakh.
Cases have been registered against 12 other persons allegedly connected to the betting network, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest them. One of the accused is reportedly associated with the Maidukuru Hospital Development Committee.
The arrests come a day after Kadapa Taluk police busted another cricket betting racket, highlighting intensified action against illegal betting operations in the district. Further investigation is in progress.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
