CID Notices To Chandrababu In ‘Amaravati Scam’

Amaravati Row: CID Notices To Chandrababu & Narayana
In what can be yet another blow to beleaguered TDP that was routed in the Municipal elections in the state, party chief and Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu has been served notices by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Andhra Pradesh, in connection with the lands of Amaravati Capital. AP CID officials have served notices to Naidu’s residence in Hyderabad. Two groups of CID officials have come to Hyderabad. Notices were served under 41 CRPC asking him to present before the CID for further investigation. CID chief Suneel Kumar has corroborated the development.

An FIR has been reportedly registered against Ex CM Chandrababu Naidu.  Former Municipal Minister P Narayana was also framed in the said FIR. According to media reports, the case is booked against Naidu under Section 120 B (conspiracy) and Sections 166, 167 and 217 of the IPC(Prohibition of Assigned Lands Alienation Act of 1977 and the SC/ST Prevention Of Atrocities Act). Narayana was also summoned to appear before the CID. It can be noted that Naidu was also the Chairman of the AP Capital Region Development Authority besides acting as the CM and that has put him in the dock now.

Depending on the further investigation in the case and interrogation of Naidu and Narayana would decide whether the filed FIR would be enlarged to invoke the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act or not.

As per the case, one of the major charges against Chandrababu Naidu pertains to “alienation of assigned lands” which form part of the aggregated 25,000 to 30,000 acres of land pooled for the then proposed state capital at Amaravati. It is reported that investigative agencies found that about 500 acres of assigned lands were purchased by non-assignees after the announcement of the capital.
The charge is that then AP government headed by Chandrababu had given a one-time exemption allowing alienation of such lands purchased by different persons for the capital project. While the assigned lands were primarily given to the SCs and STs, the non-assignees who had purchased those lands and submitted those to the government for capital were allotted 1450 square yards to 1500 square yards of developed commercial and residential plots for every acre surrendered. This has become the subject of contention. It is reported that a formal sanction of the Cabinet was also not obtained before such a major decision.Since the end beneficiary was known before the grant of exemption, this has been alleged to be a “Conspiracy”.

Meanwhile, TDP chief Chandrababu, former minister Narayana and TDP party are yet to respond to the CID notices in Amaravati lands row.