HYDERABAD: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh which registered an FIR against former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in connection with the ‘Amaravati land scam’ on Tuesday served notices on him at his residence in Hyderabad.
The "scam" involves aggregation of thousands of acres of land for the proposed capital of the divided state of Andhra Pradesh.
In an expose, The New Indian Express had carried a report on Tuesday that Naidu was facing the heat after the CID of Andhra Pradesh has registered a case against him and was investigating his role in "Amaravati land scam."
Two special teams of the CID arrived in the city on Tuesday morning to serve notices to Naidu under the provisions of Section 41 of the CrPC, asking him to appear for questioning in connection with the case on March 23.
It is alleged that Naidu has resorted to various procedural irregularities with regard to decisions taken in relation to the capital city project.
As chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu held dual capacity as he was also the Chairman of the AP Capital Region Development Authority.
The case, which throws up a completely new angle in the Amaravati land scam, has been registered under Section 120 B (conspiracy) and Sections 166, 167 and 217 of the IPC, read with Prohibition of Assigned Lands Alienation Act of 1977 and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, based on a complaint from Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, MLA Mangalagiri. A former minister in Naidu’s Cabinet, P Narayana, has also been named in the FIR and summons to appear before the CID have been issued to both. Naidu served two terms as chief minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh and the third as CM of the divided AP after bifurcation from 2014 to 2019.
Ramakrishna Reddy in his complaint stated that some farmers from his constituency had approached him and informed him that some influential persons have forcefully taken away their lands creating fear and confusion and also making false claims that the Government is going to take away their lands without paying them any compensation. Ramakrishna found that the claims were false and the farmers were cheated and approached the CID for a probe into the allegations in February 2021.
Following the complaint, DSP CID S Surya Bhaskar Rao was directed to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations. He inquired into the allegations and submitted a report on March 12, 2021, stating that the inquiry revealed that cognizance of offence was made out. Based on the inquiry report, AP CID registered a case and started an investigation.