Within hours of the Andhra Pradesh assembly adopting a resolution to initiate a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations of insider trading in Amaravati, the capital region of the state, the crime investigation department has started cracking the whip.
The CID department on Thursday books a series of cases on those who had bought lands from Dalits and other poor farmers on benami names.
Interestingly, the CID authorities found that many of those who had bought lands in Amaravati were white card holders.
The CID authorities booked cases against former ministers Prathipati Pulla Rao and P Narayana and another TDP leader Bellamkonda Narasimha for purchasing the assigned lands in the name of white card holders.
CID superintendent of police Mary Prashanti told reporters at Mangalagiri town police station that the cases were registered following a complaint from a Dalit woman Pothuraju Bujji of Venkatayapalem that some people had brought pressure on her to sell her land measuring 0.99 cents.
“We booked cases under Sections 420, 506 and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code,” she said.
According to her, as many as 797 white ration card holders had bought lands at the rate of Rs 3 crore per acre.
“In all, lands worth Rs 220 crore were brought by these white card holders who are the benamis of big people. We are inquiring into these transactions. In all, four teams have been constituted to probe these illegal land dealings,” she said.