An executive engineer from Telangana's Irrigation Department, whose lavish lifestyle includes a destination wedding in Thailand for his son and ownership of multiple luxury properties, is now at the center of a major corruption scandal.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday conducted raids at 13 locations linked to Executive Engineer Nune Sridhar, uncovering assets grossly disproportionate to his known income sources.
Among the seized properties are a 4,500-square-foot flat in the upscale Sky High residential complex in Hyderabad's Shaikpet, at least three flats in Karimnagar, a villa in Tellapur, and three independent buildings spread across Warangal, Karimnagar, and Hyderabad.
In addition, investigators found 19 prime residential plots, 16 acres of agricultural land, multiple hotel investments in Karimnagar, significant cash reserves, gold, jewelry, and bank deposits — all valued at several crores.
Sridhar had also organized a grand wedding in Thailand, reportedly spending crores of rupees on the event.
Sridhar’s role in the controversial Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project — the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation system — has drawn further scrutiny.
The project itself has faced serious corruption allegations, and former Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Chandrashekar Rao has been summoned by the PC Ghose Commission, which is investigating irregularities in the project.
Corruption surrounding the Kaleshwaram project was a key issue during the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. While the BRS has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the project was executed for the benefit of Telangana’s people, the scandal continues to widen.
According to ACB officials, a disproportionate assets (DA) case has been registered against Sridhar.
"Financial documents, property papers, and transaction records are being analyzed to trace potential benami holdings and corruption in irrigation contracts," an official stated.
Meanwhile, a separate report has recommended criminal proceedings in connection with the Medigadda Barrage, a key component of the Kaleshwaram project.
In 2023, several piers of the barrage collapsed, exposing severe execution flaws and resulting in major financial losses.
The Telangana Vigilance Commission, in a report submitted by the Director General of Vigilance and Enforcement (DG, V&E), Hyderabad, cited serious lapses in construction that led to the sinking of Block No. 7.
The report recommended criminal charges under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Dam Safety Act, 2021, and the Public Demands Recovery Act, 1984.
The Commission has also directed action against 17 individuals, including former Engineer-in-Chief Cheeti Muralidhar and officials from the contracting agency L&T-PES (JV), for faulty execution and violating procedural norms.
The agency is accused of improper secant pile construction, leading to piping beneath the raft and eventual cavity formation, which caused the collapse.
Further, the Commission has advised recovery proceedings to reclaim the replacement costs of the damaged block and action against the contractor for securing completion certificates without meeting contractual obligations.
