Stepping up the offensive against the Telugu Desam Party in the Amaravati capital issue, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh cracked the whip on former minister Ponguru Narayana, a close aide on TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu.
On Tuesday, the Crime Investigation Department of the state police arrested five of Narayana’s associates for allegedly purchasing assigned lands in Amaravati capital region.
The arrested were: Kolli Sivaram, Gattem Venkatesh, Chikkala Vijaya Saradhi, Bade Anjaneyulu and Kotti Krishna Dora Babu.
The arrested were booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code including 409, 420, 506 and 120 (B), besides SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, Section 7 of AP Assigned Lands (prohibition of transfer) Act and Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CID said Narayana then minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development orchestrated the illegal purchase of lands using his relatives and acquaintances as benami transactions.
Police say that a financial trail of Rs 15 crores is seen from the entities connected to Ponguru Narayana and his family members. They are connected to the purchase of the assigned lands from the SC/ST/BC farmers in Amaravati at low rates.
The CID said in all, illegal transactions over the assigned lands of 1100 acres in Amaravati are suspected. In this particular case, lands in 169.27 acres are under investigation.
It said Narayana and others orchestrated a design of creating an insecurity in the minds of gullible peasants who were in the possession of assigned lands or encroachers/occupants of the government lands, more particularly the SCs and BCs, through their men and the revenue officials.
They spread a message that the government will take away the assigned lands from the persons whoever were in possession of the same and created a sort of insecurity in their minds that the government will reassume the assigned lands without any compensation.
Thus, they were forced to dispose of the land for whatever money was offered by the persons projected by the Narayana and others, the CID said.
The arrested accused are being produced before the court of Special Judge for SPE & ACB cases-cum- III Addl. District & Sessions Judge, Vijayawada.