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NDTV
01-08-2025
- NDTV
Mule Accounts, Kickbacks: Raids Find Rs 1,000-Crore Trail Behind Cattle Scheme
Illegal payments and kickbacks to government officials were part of the Rs 1,000 crore money trail uncovered following raids by the Enforcement Directorate in Hyderabad in connection with the Telangana Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDS). The raids earlier this week led to the recovery of incriminating material that revealed a trail of financial irregularities and illegal activities. A key finding of the searches was the seizure of documents pertaining to over 200 suspected dummy or "mule" bank accounts. These accounts, which included blank cheque books, passbooks and debit cards, are believed to be linked to an illegal online betting application. Additionally, 31 used mobile phones and more than 20 SIM cards, suspected of being used in these illicit operations, were also recovered. The investigation has revealed that government funds intended for the SRDS were illegally diverted to the bank accounts of bogus vendors. ED's probe further substantiated that these recipients were not involved in the sheep business and that no actual sale or purchase of sheep was ever conducted by them. This latest development is part of an ongoing investigation initiated by the ED on the basis of FIRs registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Hyderabad. One FIR alleged that G Kalyan Kumar, the Officer on Special Duty to the then Animal Husbandry Minister Thalasani Srinivasa Yadav, had removed official records from a department office after a new government was formed. Another complaint from a sheep merchant alleged that Rs 2.1 crore owed to them for supplying sheep units was siphoned off by departmental officials. The ED's investigation has also corroborated the findings of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for the period ending March 2021. The audit, which was limited to just seven of the state's 33 districts, had already flagged numerous irregularities, including payments made against fake invoices, sheep units allotted to decad or non-existent persons, and the non-maintenance of beneficiary details. The CAG report estimated a loss of Rs 253.93 crore in these seven districts, leading the ED to project a potential total loss exceeding Rs 1,000 crore across the entire state.
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Time of India
ED links Rs 1,000 crore sheep scam to illegal betting app; 200 dummy accounts, 31 phones seized
HYDERABAD: In a recent finding, ED searches have uncovered links between the sheep scam and an illegal online betting app. The ED seized documents related to numerous bank accounts, including blank cheque books, passbooks, and debit cards associated with over 200 suspected dummy or mule accounts linked to an illegal online betting application. These were recovered from one of the premises. Searches also led to the seizure of 31 used mobile phones and over 20 SIM cards, which are suspected to have been used in operating the illegal activities. On 30 July, the ED conducted searches at eight locations in Hyderabad under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, in connection with financial irregularities in the implementation of the Sheep Scheme in Telangana. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The ED investigation revealed that substantial funds were transferred to the bank accounts of several individuals and entities as payments for the supply of sheep under the Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDS). The ED estimated the scam to be worth around Rs1,000 crore. The investigation found that, before the launch of SRDS, these beneficiaries were not involved in the sale or supply of sheep. It was also found that they never made any such transactions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Celebrity Mugshot Hall Of Shame As Stars Isolated in Jail Instead Of Luxury Mansions Undo The ED concluded that government funds were illegally diverted to the bank accounts of bogus vendors. Searches were conducted at the premises of G Kalyan Kumar (OSD to the then Animal Husbandry Minister Thalasani Srinivasa Yadav), along with certain beneficiaries and middlemen identified during the investigation. In one FIR by the ACB, it was alleged that after the new government was formed in the state, the OSD to the former minister removed some records from the department office by breaking in. Another FIR was filed by a sheep merchant, who alleged that Rs 2.1 crore due to them for supplying sheep units was siphoned off by departmental Assistant Directors, who diverted the amount to unrelated accounts. In addition, the CAG's audit report for the period ending March 2021 revealed several irregularities in the implementation of the SRDS scheme, such as: No record of beneficiary-wise details Improper maintenance of transport-related invoices and payments Payments made against invoices with fake or non-transport vehicle registration numbers Duplicate tags allotted to sheep units Sheep units allotted to dead or non-existent persons The CAG audit covered only 7 out of 33 districts in Telangana and estimated the loss at Rs 253 crore. On a proportionate basis, the loss across the entire state could exceed Rs 1,000 crore. The ED's investigation also confirmed the audit findings, showing that payments were made to fictitious vendors and that there was evidence of recycling sheep units to fraudulently claim disbursements from government funds without actual supply. The search operations led to the recovery and seizure of incriminating material showing illegal payments in the form of kickbacks to various government officials and other suspects.
