02-05-2025
ACB raids kingpin's home in Rs 2.32 cr sheep scam; luxury cars seized
Hyderabad: In a dramatic turn in the Rs 2.32 crore sheep procurement scam, sleuths from the
Anti Corruption Bureau
raided the Kokapet residence of prime accused Syed
Mohiduddin
late Thursday night, sparking rumours of his arrest.
However, officials swiftly dispelled the speculation, confirming that Mohiduddin is still absconding in Dubai. The late-night operation led to the seizure of two high-end vehicles, including a
BMW
and an Innova, belonging to his family.
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Mohiduddin, managing director of Hyderabad-based Lolona livestock company, has been on the run since his name surfaced in the high-profile scam. "Our team searched his Kokapet home in the presence of family members. Mohiduddin and his nephew Ikramuddin, both wanted in the case, are still hiding in Dubai. We have initiated procedures to attach the seized vehicles," an ACB official confirmed.
So far, the ACB has named 15 individuals in the case and arrested eight. Five others have been served notices under section 41-A of the CrPC and questioned. Only Mohiduddin and his nephew remain at large. "We have issued look-out circulars and impounded their passports," said the official.
The scandal traces back to the Telangana govt's sheep rearing and development scheme (SRDS), launched in 2017 by the then BRS regime. Under the scheme, shepherd families were to receive units of 20 sheep each, subsidised at 75% by the govt. Thousands of sheep were procured from traders in Guntur and Karnataka.
The first signs of trouble emerged on Dec 26, 2023, when Gachibowli police received a complaint from S Yedukondalu, a sheep trader from Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that Mohiduddin, along with his nephew Ikramuddin and two assistant directors from the state animal husbandry department—D Ravi Kumar and M Aditya Keshava Sai—approached him to supply sheep for the SRDS.
Between Aug 13 and 23, 2023, Yedukondalu and 17 other traders delivered 133 units (21 sheep each) at Vellela in Prakasam district. They submitted their bank details and Aadhaar cards to the officials, expecting payment. But the funds never arrived.
The case was soon handed over to the ACB, whose preliminary investigation uncovered a fraudulent scheme where bank accounts were opened under fictitious names or using the identities of Mohiduddin's associates to allegedly siphon off govt funds.
