The AP Crime Investigation Department has asked the Income-Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate to inquire into cases relating to various alleged irregularities, including purchase of huge tracts of land by white ration card holders, in the capital region during 2014-2015.
The YSRCP led government has already initiated a probe into alleged insider trading and Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said in the Assembly that the government has evidence that leaders of the TDP and their supporters had purchased land to the extent of 4,000 acres during June-December 2014, before the government declared Amaravati the State Capital.
Additional Director General of Police (CID) P.V. Sunil Kumar wrote to Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, on Wednesday seeking the necessary inquiry against those involved in benami transactions. The CID also submitted a list of suspicious transactions with full details.
“We have also come across some benami transactions, some of them do not have even PAN card and some belong to the BPL category. It is surprising that their names are entered in sale deeds of huge transactions. We have asked both the I-T Department and the ED to look look into these transactions and also into specific cases of money laundering,’’ said Mr. Sunil Kumar.
The CID has identified that 797 white ration card holders, including 268 PAN card holders, were involved in land transactions in 761.34 acres in Amaravathi, Pedakakani, Tadikonda, Thulluru, Mangalagiri and Tadepalli mandals, whose market value is above ₹200 crore. The market values have been certified by mandal revenue officers.
Erring personnel face action
The CID has also asked the I-T Department if the PAN card holders had submitted I-T returns during the years 2014-15. In case the land was purchased by white ration card holders, the Revenue Department would be asked to cancel the cards. The CID is also probing if the sales tax deduction of 2 % had been done in the case of transactions above ₹50 lakh.
A separate CID team is probing high-value land transactions carried out by political leaders while another team is inquiring into the purchase of assigned land. Action would be initiated against Revenue and Registration department personnel involved in removing the land from the list of prohibited land under Section 22 (A) of the Stamps and Registration Department.
