Drug Inspector, Aide Caught By ACB Taking ₹20,000 Bribe

KAKINADA: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Friday caught Drugs Inspector Kampa Suresh Kumar of Jangareddygudem and his alleged special assistant Tadikamalla Siva Ramakrishna red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹20,000.

According to ACB officials, the case was registered on the complaint of Athyutababa Venkata Durga Sai of Avupadu village in Nallajerla mandal of East Godavari district, who was trying to set up a medical store under the name of M/s Sri Sai Medical Agencies at Jangareddygudem in Eluru district. On February 6, he applied online for a drug license at the office of the Deputy Director of the Drug Control Administration.

Durga Sai later visited the Jangareddygudem office and handed over all the necessary documents to the Drug Inspector, who uploaded them online, officials said. However, the license was allegedly delayed, whereupon Suresh Kumar demanded a bribe and directed the complainant to contact Siva Ramakrishna, who allegedly agreed to collect the amount on his behalf.

The complainant, who did not want to pay the bribe, appealed to the ACB. Acting on the complaint, ACB officials caught Siva Ramakrishna by trapping him while he was accepting the bribe amount on behalf of the drug inspector. Both Siva Ramakrishna and Suresh Kumar were arrested and produced before the ACB court in Rajamahendravaram.

ACB officials said searches are continuing at Suresh Kumar’s house and office building. He joined the government service as a pharmacist in 1995 and was later promoted as a Junior Analyst and posted in Vijayawada, and in 2021, he was promoted as a Pharmaceutical Inspector, they said. He has been working at Jangareddygudem since October 2025.

Ensuring the confidentiality of whistleblowers, ACB has urged them to report cases of corruption to local ACB offices or via toll-free number 1064, mobile number 9440440057 or email to complaint-acb@ap.gov.in.