The troubles for the Telugu Desam Party leaders from the Crime Investigation Department of Andhra Pradesh police are far from over.
The CID authorities are filing one case after the other against the TDP leaders and even digging out old cases against them.
In the latest episode, the CID authorities reopened the assigned lands purchase issue in Amaravati, which was virtually shut down by the state high court.
On Saturday, the CID filed a petition in the high court seeking permission to reopen the Amaravati assigned lands case, as fresh evidence was furnished by former municipal administration minister and TDP leader Ponguru Narayana’s sister-in-law Krishna Priya.
If the court gives permission to the CID, then more and more skeletons are expected to tumble out of the Amaravati cupboard.
The assigned land case, registered on March 12, 2021, was based on the report by Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, MLA of Mangalagiri. TDP president and former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Narayana were named as the main accused.
The High Court of Andhra Pradesh granted a stay on the investigation on March 19, 2021, and recently completed the hearing on the quash petition filed by the accused.
While the Criminal petition was reserved for orders, the CID officers received new evidence in the form of a voluntary audio-visual statement sent by Ponguru Krishnapriya, the sister-in-law of Narayana (A-2).
She gave specific details on how Narayana, the then municipal administration minister, indulged in the illegal purchase of the assigned lands.
The CID argued that during the capital formation, a campaign was run over claims made by some political sections and government agencies that the assigned lands would be taken over by the government creating a sense of fear and panic in the assignees, most of them belonging to Dalit communities.
“The assigned lands were then bought at throw away prices and later submitted to a land pooling scheme. In return, they were provided with developed plots after bringing in GO Ms No.41 in February 16 in violation of all existing rules. The issuance of the GO has caused massive loss to the State exchequer and in violation of business rules,” the CID argued.
