The investigation began when it was said that the police had gotten richer than her legal income would allow.
In a big effort to fight corruption, the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Endowment Department Assistant Commissioner Kalingiri Santhi on April 7 in a case of excess assets. The raids happened at the same time in several places in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
Authorities said they had “credible information” that Santhi had gotten money from sources other than her known income. As a result, AP ACB detectives from the Vijayawada Range opened a case and searched four locations across the state, including her home, her mother’s clothing store, and her sister’s house. There were also searches at another home in Visakhapatnam.
During the raids, agents found a lot of information about assets that were thought to be connected to the officer and took a number of papers that could be used against him. ACB agents found information about a flat in Visakhapatnam, a building in Vinayawada with the number G+2, almost 770 grams of gold jewellery, almost 3 kilograms of silver items, Rs 1.15 lakh in cash, and bank deposits of around Rs 3 lakh. The police also found a Volkswagen Polo car, a motorbike, electronics, and other expensive things.
Assistant Commissioner of Endowments Kalingiri Santhi was nabbed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a case of Disproportionate Assets (DA). They did this because they supposedly found assets that were much higher than her known sources of income.
Police were told about the claims
Based on solid evidence, ACB officials in the Vijayawada Range opened a case under the relevant parts of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as changed in 2018).
The investigation began because it was said that the cop had gotten richer than her legal income would allow.
Two villages, Tadepalli and Undavalli, were searched at the same time
As part of the investigation, ACB teams searched four places at the same time on Tuesday in Tadepalli and Undavalli towns. This included the accused’s home. Officials took away a number of papers that could be used as evidence linked to homes and funds.
During the searches, the ACB is said to have found and taken away important items, such as
- A flat in Visakhapatnam’s Yendada neighbourhood
- A G+2 building in Kunchanapalli, Tadepalli
- About 770 grams of gold jewellery and 3 kg of silver items
- About Rs. 1.15 lakh in cash and about Rs. 3 lakh in the bank
- A motorbike and a Volkswagen Polo
- Electronic tools and expensive home goods
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Officials say that more searches are still going on
Assistant Commissioner Kalingiri Shanti from the Endowments Department was brought before the ACB court. The court put her in judicial arrest until April 21. After that, she was taken to the Vijayawada district jail.
Ten hours of searches were conducted by ACB officials in different places, such as Tadepalli, Undavalli, and Visakhapatnam. Four places in Tadepalli were searched: her home, her mother’s clothing store, and her sister’s house.
As per the rules, Santhi was nabbed and is now being taken to the Special Court for ACB crimes in Vijayawada.
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Background in service
In 2020, Santhi was hired by the APPSC as an Assistant Commissioner of Endowments. People have asked her to work in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. She was not working from July 2024 to March 2026 because she was suspended. When she was arrested, she was waiting to be posted.
The crooked officer was arrested under Section 13(2) and Section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. These sections deal with public workers who are found to have assets that are too big for their legal income. Santhi was taken into custody by the Special Court for ACB Cases in Vijayawada after she was arrested. She will remain in judicial custody until April 21. After that, she was taken to the district jail.
More searches are still being done and the stolen items are being valued. ACB officials said that the total value may go up as the investigation goes on.
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