Hyderabad: The Telangana Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday, February 21, booked former Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) director Shiva Balakrishna in another corruption case pertaining to misuse of official position in connection with the alteration of a layout and issuance of a Government Order (GO).
Details of the case
In 2024, the former HMDA director was arrested in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Balakrihna has now been booked under section 7(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 based on a complaint by a woman from Telecom Nagar.
The ACB officials GO 170 was issued on September 28, 2022, by the then special chief secretary of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department. At the time, Shiva Balakrishna was the Director of the HMDA.
The GO allowed alteration of the original master plan based on representations by certain private individuals, who sought land acquisition to connect their properties to a nearby 100-feet road.
However, the complainant alleged that the changes adversely affected her 70-foot plot located in Survey number 337. She claimed that the modification of the master plan affected her property adversely.
High Court intervenes
In 2022, the complainant approached the Telangana High Court and challenged the GO. After hearing the petition, the High Court suspended the operation of the GO. According to reports, in 2023, the complainant sought the HMDA’s permission to construct a building on her plot. However, it remains pending.
The complainant alleged that the GO 170 was issued with malafide intent and approached the ACB to file a complaint against Balakrishna. Based on the complaint the ACB director general ordered a preliminary probe.
The ACB conducted an investigation and found irregularities in the issuance of the GO. Based on the finding, the ACB wrote to the the MAUD chief secretary seeking permission to book a case against the former HMDA director and to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
On January 7, 2026, the MAUD special chief secretary approved the registration of a case and further investigation. The investigation is now assigned to the Central Investigation Unit (CIU) DSP Lakshmikant Reddy.
Officials said the note files related to the issuance of the GO will play a crucial role in the probe.
The ACB is expected to write to MAUD seeking these documents.
The examination of these files may also reveal whether other senior officials were involved in the decision-making process.
