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Time of India
01-08-2025
- Time of India
ED probe unravels sheep scam-illegal betting app link
Hyderabad: In a twist to the unfolding sheep rearing development scheme (SRDS) scam, Enforcement Directorate has found fresh evidence linking the massive financial fraud to an illegal online betting application. During recent searches, ED officials seized documents and material suggesting that govt funds meant for poor farmers were laundered through over 200 suspected mule or dummy accounts tied to the betting network. The seizure, made from one of the premises that was searched by the ED, included blank chequebooks, passbooks, debit cards, 31 used mobile phones, and more than 20 SIM cards, all suspected to have been used in facilitating these illegal activities. The ED carried out searches on July 30 at eight locations in Hyderabad under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The probe focuses on large-scale misappropriation of public funds allocated under the SRDS. Investigators estimate the total scam could be of as high as Rs 1,000 crore. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad According to the ED, substantial payments were made to multiple individuals and entities claiming to supply sheep to beneficiaries. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo However, most of these recipients were never involved in the sheep business before the scheme began and, in fact, never delivered any sheep at all. Funds were fraudulently diverted to bogus vendors, with no real transactions taking place. Searches were conducted at the residence of G Kalyan Kumar, OSD to former animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, as well as several middlemen and alleged beneficiaries. An FIR by the Anti Corruption Bureau accused Kalyan of breaking into the department's office and taking away official records after the change of govt. Another FIR, lodged by a sheep merchant, alleged that Rs 2.1 crore owed for supplied sheep units was siphoned off by departmental assistant directors and diverted to unrelated accounts. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit report for the year ending March 2021 flagged grave irregularities, including lack of beneficiary-wise records, fake transportation invoices, duplicate tags issued for sheep units, disbursements to dead or non-existent individuals and use of non-transport vehicles for alleged transportation. The audit, which covered seven of Telangana's 33 districts, pegged the loss at Rs 253 crore. Scaled to all districts, the total loss could surpass ₹1,000 crore, sources said. The ED investigation not only corroborates the CAG's findings but also uncovered evidence of 'recycled' sheep units—where the same livestock was shown as delivered multiple times to fraudulently claim govt payments.
The Hindu
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Telangana Sheep Distribution Scheme funds transferred to individuals without prior history in livestock trade: ED
The funds meant for beneficiaries under Telangana government's Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDS) were transferred to individuals who, prior to the launch of the scheme, had no history of involvement in the livestock trade. This was one of the findings of the Directorate of Enforcement's (ED) probe into the large-scale financial irregularities in the scheme. The ED teams carried out search operations at eight locations across Hyderabad on Wednesday (July 30, 2025) as part of its investigation. The raids were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Among the premises searched was that of G. Kalyan Kumar, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to former Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav. The agency also searched locations linked to several beneficiaries and middlemen flagged during the investigation. The raids yielded evidence, including documents suggesting illegal kickbacks to public officials. Seized items included blank chequebooks, passbooks, debit cards linked to over 200 suspected mule accounts, and documents tied to an illegal online betting application. Investigators also recovered 31 used mobile phones and more than 20 SIM cards believed to have been used in the operations. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for the financial year ending March 2021 further exposed a litany of irregularities in the scheme's implementation. These included the absence of beneficiary records, fake invoices, payments made against non-transport vehicle registration numbers, allocation of sheep units to deceased or non-existent individuals, and instances of sheep units being recycled to fraudulently claim government subsidies. The audit, limited to just seven of Telangana's 33 districts, pegged the loss at ₹253.93 crore. The ED noted that if extrapolated across the state, the total loss could exceed ₹1,000 crore. The ED's probe stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Hyderabad. One of them alleged that following the change in government, the OSD to the ex-minister forcibly removed records from the department's office. Another complaint, filed by a sheep merchant, claimed that ₹2.1 crore owed for the supply of sheep was siphoned off by departmental officials and diverted to unrelated accounts. Further investigation is ongoing.
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Telangana sheep 'scam': ED recovers 200 'mule' accounts after raids
New Delhi/Hyderabad, The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has seized passbooks, debit cards and cheque books belonging to more than 200 'mule' bank accounts following raids in a money laundering case linked to an alleged sheep rearing and distribution scam worth crores of rupees that allegedly took place in Telangana during the previous BRS regime. Telangana sheep 'scam': ED recovers 200 'mule' accounts after raids These bank accounts, as per a statement issued by the central agency, are linked to an illegal betting app. The agency claimed it also recovered materials that indicate "kickbacks" being paid to some government officials and others. The probe stems from Telangana Police Anti-Corruption Bureau FIRs of December 2023. The ACB arrested four government officers in February 2024. The Sheep Rearing Development Scheme was launched by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government in the southern state in April 2017 to provide a sustainable livelihood to shepherd families and boost their income. Eight locations in the city related to beneficiaries and alleged middlemen involved in the scam, including the premises of G Kalyan, Officer on Special Duty to former BRS minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, were raided on July 30 by the ED as part of the case booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act . An ACB FIR alleged that after the formation of the new government in the state , OSD Kalyan had removed some records from the department office by breaking-in the premises. Another FIR was registered by a sheep merchant alleging that ₹2.1 crore, which was due to be paid to them for supplying sheep units, was siphoned off by the departmental assistant directors, as per the ED. The agency said its probe found that "substantial" funds were transferred to the bank accounts of several persons/entities in lieu of supply of sheep for beneficiaries under the SRDS. Prior to the launch of the SRDS, these beneficiaries were not involved in the business of sale or supply of sheep and the recipients of these funds had never done sale or purchase of this category of livestock. The probe found that government funds were "illegally diverted" to the bank accounts of bogus vendors. According to the agency, a CAG Audit Report for the period ended March-2021 found several irregularities in the implementation of the SRDS scheme like non-maintenance of beneficiary wise details, improper record of invoices pertaining to transportation invoices and payments, payments against invoices containing fake/ passenger vehicles/ non-transport vehicle registration numbers, duplicate tags allotted to sheep units, sheep units allotted to dead/non-existent persons etc. The CAG's audit report is limited to only seven districts wherein an estimated loss to the government was pegged at ₹253.93 crore. "On a proportionate basis for all the 33 districts in the entire state of Telangana, the loss is likely to exceed ₹1,000 crore," the ED claimed. The agency said its investigation also substantiated the findings of the CAG audit. The documents related to numerous bank accounts, including blank cheque books, passbooks and debit cards associated with over 200 suspected dummy/mule accounts linked to an illegal online betting application, were recovered from one of the premises, it said. A total of 31 used mobile phones and over 20 SIM cards were also seized, the agency said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
ED conducts raids in Telangana sheep-distribution 'scam' case
Hyderabad, The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at multiple locations in Hyderabad on Wednesday as part of a money-laundering probe into a sheep rearing and distribution "scam" worth crores of rupees that allegedly took place in Telangana during the previous BRS regime, official sources said. ED conducts raids in Telangana sheep-distribution 'scam' case At least eight locations in the city related to beneficiaries and alleged middlemen involved in the scam, including the premises of G Kalyan, Officer on Special Duty to former BRS minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, were covered as part of the operation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act , they said. The probe stems from a Telangana Police Anti-Corruption Bureau FIR of December 2023. The ACB arrested four government officers in February 2024. The Sheep Rearing Development Scheme was launched by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government in the southern state in April 2017 to provide a sustainable livelihood to shepherd families and boost their income. The sources said the ED has found that though the "proceeds of crime" , according to the FIR, amounted to only ₹2.1 crore, a Comptroller and Auditor General report has pegged the loss to the state government at crores of rupees. The CAG report for the period ending in March 2021 found several "irregularities" in the implementation of the flagship SRDS like non-maintenance of beneficiary-wise details, improper record pertaining to transportation invoices and payments, payments against invoices containing registration numbers that are either fake or of passenger vehicles or non-transport vehicles, duplicate tags allotted to sheep units etc., the sources said. Allegations related to sheep units allotted to "dead or non-existent" persons are also being probed by the federal agency, they said. The CAG audit report is limited to only seven districts , whereas the estimated loss to the state government is pegged at ₹253.93 crore, the ED has found. However, on a proportionate basis for all the 33 districts in the state, the loss is likely to exceed ₹1,000 crore. The ED is probing these allegations and will arrive at a conclusion post the investigation, the sources said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Today
30-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
ED raids across Hyderabad in connection with Telangana sheep rearing scam probe
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at multiple locations in Hyderabad in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Telangana government's Sheep Rearing Development Scheme, implemented during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) raids are part of a money laundering probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and are based on state police FIRs and audit findings. At least eight locations linked to alleged middlemen and beneficiaries of the scheme, including the premises of G Kalyan, officer on special duty to former BRS minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, were searched, official sources ED is examining documents and digital evidence related to the fund flow and possible laundering by officials and private individuals involved in the procurement and distribution of sheep under the state's flagship scheme. Earlier, the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had arrested several senior officials, including a former CEO of the Telangana State Livestock Development Agency and the former OSD to the then Minister for Animal Husbandry. The FIRs pegged the proceeds of crime at Rs 2.1 sources in the ED said that a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has pointed to irregularities worth much more. The audit, covering just 7 of the 33 districts in Telangana, estimated a loss of Rs 253.93 included payment invoices raised using non-transport vehicles, lack of beneficiary-wise data, duplicate sheep tags, and even sheep units allegedly allotted to dead or non-existent a proportionate scale, the ED suspects the loss across all districts could exceed Rs 1,000 crore. Further developments are awaited.- EndsTune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Telangana
