Investigation into the alleged scandal in the purchase of assigned lands in the Amaravati region during 2014-19 has gained pace with the Crime Investigation Department (CID) gathering “clinching evidence.”
The investigation was initiated basing on the complaint lodged by Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who alleged that several assigned land-holders had been cheated with the criminal intention of grabbing their lands at a throwaway price, after misleading them that their lands would be taken away by the State government as part of the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS).
The investigation team has gathered over 150 documents from the office of the Sub-Registrar at Mangalagiri that “show the mala fide acts of the individuals involved in the illegal activities.”
The names, addresses, photographs, and other details of the persons suspected to be benamis of individuals in decision-making roles in the then government are being compiled.
“During the course of investigation, it has come to our notice that certain private individuals are trying to contact the potential witnesses and hamper investigation by twisting facts. As all the victims / witnesses belong to the weaker sections, they were hesitant to approach the law enforcement agencies then,” said a senior CID officer.
As the matter is being examined by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the CID will be placing all the facts before the court through a counter affidavit.
Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy had reportedly gathered file notings pertaining to the “modification of the CRDA land pooling rules in violation of the A.P. Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfer) Act and the SC/ST (POA) Act,” through his acquaintances who had invoked the Right to Information Act.
The investigating officer has been recording the statements of the officials involved in the process of framing the rules pertaining to the controversial G.O. 41 and the assignees who may have been illegally exploited and deprived of their land.
“The names of the assignees have been gathered from the revenue records and the data from the AMRDA (CRDA),” the officer said.
Several officers, including former District Collector, Guntur, Joint Collector, and Commissioner, CRDA, and other Deputy Collectors were questioned by the CID.
