No Water For Days, But Your Tanker Manager Had 18 Acres, 3 Flats & Rs 1.1 Crore Cash | Hyderabad's Shocking Raid

Last Updated:May 20, 2026, 08:59 IST

Telangana's ACB arrested an HMWS&SB general manager whose alleged water tanker racket earned him ₹50,000 a day — while residents queued for water that never came.

A general manager at Hyderabad’s water utility board has been arrested after anti-corruption officials raided nine locations linked to him and uncovered assets worth a documented Rs 5.88 crore — with investigators estimating the real market value at nearly Rs 50 crore, possibly even Rs 100 crore. The man tasked with supplying water to one of India’s fastest-growing cities had allegedly been selling it on the side for profit.

Saggam Anantha Laxmi Kumar, 58, served as General Manager (Engineering) of Project Division-VIII at the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), overseeing water projects in the Red Hills area.

On Tuesday, the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested him following simultaneous raids on his residence in Mallapur and eight other premises linked to his relatives, associates, and alleged benamis (proxy owners) across Hyderabad and Nizamabad.

The case has since ignited fury among ordinary Hyderabadis who have waited days for water tankers that never arrived — while a government official allegedly ran a parallel, black-market water business worth crores.

What Exactly Did The ACB Find?

The seized assets paint a picture of extraordinary, systematic wealth accumulation. Here is what investigators recovered:

Cash and valuables from Kumar’s Mallapur residence:

• Rs 1.1 crore in cash (preliminary information put this at Rs 1.05 crore, as tallying continued)

• 2.1 kg of gold ornaments

• 9.2 kg of silver articles

Properties unearthed across Telangana:

• Documents for 18 acres of agricultural land in Navipet and Bodhan (Nizamabad district) and Cheryal (Sangareddy district)

• Six open plots in Maheshwaram

• Three flats in Uppal

• A G+3 residential building in Mallapur

• A Maruti Ritz hatchback and a motorcycle

The documented value of all seized assets stands at ₹5.88 crore. But ACB Joint Director Sindhu Sharma stated publicly that the market value is “expected to be several times higher."

Some investigators and early reports put that figure at Rs 50 crore; social media accounts tracking the case have cited sources suggesting a figure closer to Rs 100 crore.

Bank lockers belonging to Kumar and his family members have not yet been opened — meaning the final number could climb further still.

How Did He Allegedly Do It?

Kumar had 25 years of government service behind him. His wife is a homemaker, and the couple’s two daughters are married. On paper, an engineering officer’s salary offers no route to 18 acres of farmland and multiple urban flats.

According to ACB sources, the money allegedly flowed in from a racket hiding in plain sight: water tankers.

Hyderabad’s apartment complexes routinely depend on board-supplied tankers during dry spells and supply shortfalls.

Kumar allegedly exploited this desperation — charging apartment complexes Rs 5,000 per tanker (well above the official rate) and pocketing an estimated Rs 50,000 every single day.

Most of these tankers, according to investigators, were “unofficially booked" — off the record, and off the board’s books.

Why Are Residents So Angry?

Buried in the social media outrage is one comment that cuts to the heart of the matter. A user publicly tagged the HMWS&SB handle and wrote that their water token — number 3106 — had been “pending for last 3 days." They added: “We are common citizens. We can’t afford to pay big amounts."

That is the human cost behind the crores. While residents queued for water they couldn’t get, the man managing those very queues allegedly ran a system where money bought access. As another commenter put it: “No wonder they always cancel my tanker booking."

What Happens Next?

Kumar has been arrested and will be produced before a court for judicial remand. The ACB has made clear that investigation is ongoing — bank lockers are yet to be inspected, document scrutiny continues, and the net may widen to relatives and associates.

Officials also noted separately that allegations about illegal tanker pricing exist, but the current case is focused strictly on disproportionate assets.

If past patterns hold, critics are already sceptical. “Max, they get suspended for a few months, bribe their way back, and return with a promotion," one commenter wrote. For now, Hyderabad is watching — and waiting for water.

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