Hyderabad, July 30, 2025 — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday launched a series of coordinated raids across eight locations in Hyderabad as part of its investigation into the alleged multi-crore sheep distribution scam linked to the Telangana government’s Sheep Rearing Development Scheme (SRDS).
The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted premises associated with key accused individuals, including G. Kalyan Kumar, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to ex-BRS minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, and Sabavath Ramachander, former Managing Director of the Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation (TSSGDCF).
The SRDS, launched in 2017, aimed to provide 20 sheep and one ram per unit to shepherd families, with a 75% subsidy. Over 1.28 crore sheep were reportedly distributed during the scheme’s initial phase. However, investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and subsequent ED probe revealed widespread financial irregularities, including inflated procurement bills, fake transportation records, duplicate sheep tags, and the use of benami accounts.
According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the estimated loss in just seven of Telangana’s 33 districts stands at ₹253.93 crore, with projections suggesting the total loss could exceed ₹1,000 crore statewide. The FIR filed by the ACB initially pegged the scam at ₹2.1 crore, but further scrutiny has uncovered a significantly larger financial impact.
The ED is currently examining financial documents, beneficiary lists, vendor records, and payment files to trace the flow of misappropriated funds. The agency suspects that several government officials and middlemen colluded to siphon off public money intended for rural development and livestock support.
This latest round of raids marks a critical escalation in the investigation, with political aides and senior bureaucrats now under the scanner. The ED is expected to summon additional individuals for questioning in the coming days as it deepens its probe into one of Telangana’s most significant welfare scheme frauds.
