Anti-Corruption Bureau officials conducted surprise searches at the fire station in Uppal Bhagayath, Hyderabad, on the night of 6 November 2026, after complaints that fire department staff were demanding bribes from people applying for licences to sell Diwali firecrackers.

The station falls under the LB Nagar jurisdiction. The complaints alleged that officials were asking applicants for money before clearing their paperwork, and the ACB moved in with surprise searches to test those allegations.

What investigators found so far

According to the reports, the ACB detained a few fire department officials for questioning, including the in-charge inspector. Officers reportedly seized Rs 40,000 in cash from the premises.

Investigators have also identified 80 online transactions they suspect are linked to the alleged irregularities. The reports do not say who made those transactions or who received them, and that question will likely sit at the centre of the probe.

Officials are now scrutinising several pending applications for firecracker shop licences. That step matters because it looks beyond the people caught in the act. It asks whether any approvals or rejections were shaped by payments, and whether applicants who paid were treated differently from those who did not.

Officials were demanding bribes from applicants seeking licences to operate Diwali firecracker shops.

Who is leading the probe

The raids are being conducted under the supervision of Rangareddy District ACB DSP Anand Kumar. Searches are continuing, and the reports say further investigation is underway.

That means the case is still open. Nobody has been formally charged in the material available, and the reports use words like ‘reportedly’ and ‘suspected’ for a reason. The ACB will need to connect the cash, the transactions and the pending files before it can establish a full picture of what happened.

Why Hyderabad residents should pay attention

Diwali firecracker sales run on licences. Every shop that opens for the festival needs approval from the fire department, and every applicant in a queue depends on officials to process files in time. When those officials are accused of asking for money at the counter, the cost lands on ordinary traders who want to operate legally and on buyers who expect the shops they visit to be safe.

The Uppal case is a Hyderabad story, rooted in the city’s local fire administration. It shows how the permit process can become a point of pressure for applicants who have little leverage and a tight window to get their paperwork done.

The bigger question about fire safety permits

Fire safety approvals exist to protect people. A licence that is delayed, denied or granted under pressure weakens that protection. The allegations here go to the heart of that trust: if a permit can be bought, the safety check behind it may not have been carried out properly.

Readers should watch three things in the coming days. First, whether the ACB confirms the charges against the detained officials. Second, whether the pending licence files are reviewed and on what basis. Third, whether the 80 flagged transactions lead to additional arrests or names.

For now, the facts are clear on the core points. The ACB conducted surprise searches at the Uppal Bhagayath fire station. Officials reportedly detained staff, including the in-charge inspector. Rs 40,000 in cash was reportedly seized. Eighty suspicious online transactions have been identified. The searches are continuing, and the investigation has not been closed.