The Andhra Pradesh Police CID on Monday took a significant step forward in the investigation of the Rs 4,400-crore Assigned Lands scam, which revolves around the development of Amaravati as the capital of the state. In a notable development, a chargesheet was filed, with prominent political figures including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and former minister P Narayana listed as the main accused.
The chargesheet also named A Sudheer Babu and KPV Anjani Kumar alongside Naidu and Narayana, alleging their involvement in the alleged wresting of assigned lands totalling 1,100 acres, valued at a staggering Rs 4,400 crore.
Booked under various IPC Sections
The charges levied against the accused encompass a wide array of legal violations, including sections of the Indian Penal Code such as 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), and 506 (criminal intimidation). Furthermore, the chargesheet implicates them under sections related to public servants disobeying the law, framing incorrect records, abetment, criminal conspiracy, and various acts pertaining to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfer) Act, and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Narayana had worked as the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister in the TDP government between 2014 and 2019.
“In conspiracy with Naidu, Narayana, other ministers and their benamis, with an intention to grab the assigned lands in the capital city area from the SCs, STs and BCs, put them under the apprehension that the assigned lands will be taken away by the government under land pooling scheme without giving any package and purchased the lands from them at lower prices,” an official release said.
What did the CID claim?
Further, the CID said in the chargesheet that government officials were pressured by the accused into issuing Government Order MS No 41 to incorporate those assigned lands in the villages of Mandadam, Velagapudi, Rayapudi, Uddandarayunipalem and others into the capital city land pooling scheme.
“Despite the clear and binding legal advice given by the then Advocate General, the accused deliberately and in a coordinated manner violated the legal mandate,” the release said. The CID said that K Brahmananda Reddy, KPV Anjani Kumar, G Suresh and K Sivaram acted as benamis to purchase the assigned lands from the poor people.
Further, it noted that there is clear evidence on the flow of funds worth Rs 16.5 crore from educational societies and companies operated by Narayana’s family members to Ramakrishna Housing Pvt Ltd and other real estate middlemen, who in turn paid the farmers of those assigned lands to get alleged illegal sale deals prepared in the name of Narayana’s benamis.
Assigned Lands scam
According to the CID, Narayana acquired up to 162 acres of assigned land for himself and his associates and Naidu’s associates had also acquired assigned lands running into hundreds of acres in the capital city area.
Moreover, it underscored that 1,336 new persons claimed land pooling scheme benefits for 946 acres of land under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA), which were actually under the possession of different persons as per 2014 revenue records. Meanwhile, the CID said realtor Brahmananda Reddy, who dealt with the agreements on assigned land approached the ACB Court to consider him a prosecution witness (approver), which the court is considering.
(With PTI inputs)
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