Hyderabad: Former minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav’s former OSD G Kalyan Kumar was taken into custody by ED officials based on the FIR registered by the ACB alleging a Rs 700 crore scam in the Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDS) in December 2023. ED officials conducted searches in eight locations of Hyderabad, including Kalyan’s residence.

Several key documents and a huge amount of cash were seized in these searches. Kalyan was reportedly questioned for about 7 hours. This case related to financial irregularities in the sheep distribution scheme implemented during the previous government’s tenure. As per ACB, misuse of Rs 700 crore took place in this scheme.

Kalyan Kumar, along with Telangana Livestock Development Agency CEO Sabavat Ramchander, are accused of diverting huge funds in the name of fake beneficiaries. Several officials and middlemen have already been arrested in this case. The ED has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is probing the financial transactions.

The ACB has found that huge funds were transferred to fake accounts in this scheme. At least eight locations in the city related to beneficiaries and alleged middlemen involved in the scam, including the premises of Kalyan, were covered as part of the operation conducted under the PMLA Act. The SRDS was launched by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government in April 2017 to provide a sustainable livelihood to shepherd families and boost their income.