Citing corruption in the preparation of the Amaravati Capital City Master Plan, the Government of Andhra Pradesh on May 14 (Sunday) attached the “returnable plots” allegedly belonging to the family members, relatives and suspected benamis of fomer Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (in the Telugu Desam Party government) Ponguru Narayana.
In the same case, the government also attached the house of TDP national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Principal Secretary (Home), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Harish Kumar Gupta, released the G.O. Ms. No. 90, dated May 12, 2023, allowing the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) to attach the properties up to an extent of 75,880 sq. yards in the limits of the A.P. Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA).
In the G.O., the government said that the CID had investigated and submitted a report in the case.
Complaint by YSRCP legislator
The government further said that the CID, basing on a complaint lodged by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) legislator from Mangalagiri Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, had filed a case (Cr. No. 16/2022) under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
In July 2015, a Singapore-based Master Planner had submitted a Seed Development Master Plan Report to the CRDA, and the final site selection for the Seed Development Area was done allegedly as per the directions Mr. Naidu and Mr. Narayana.
In this case, Mr. Naidu, who was then Chief Minister and Chairman of the APCRDA, was named A1 and Mr. Narayana, who was then Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development and Vice-chairman of CRDA, was named A2.
Seed Development Area
The CID said, “Owing to their positions in the government, using the prior privileged information and decision-making role about the location of the Seed Development Area, Mr. Narayana had purchased Acres 65.50 cents of agricultural lands located in and around the start-up area during June, July, and August 2015, for ₹4,22,69,500 in the names of his close associates and relatives, including Potturi Prameela, Rapuru Sambasiva Rao, Avula Muni Shankar and Varun Kumar Kothapa. In addition to that, Mr. Naidu and Mr. Narayana had taken a decision such that the Seed Capital Area was located adjacent to the land bank of Mr. Narayana, though other options were available.”
M/s NSPIRA Management Services Pvt. Ltd., which was founded by Mr. Narayana and now being managed by his son-in-law, and P. Ramadevi, wife of Mr. Narayana, had provided money to the benamidars for purchase of these lands, the CID alleged.
The CID further alleged that the NSPIRA had transferred an amount of ₹50,00,000 to Ms. Prameela. The NSPIRA had also allegedly deposited cash through D. Ravindrababu into the accounts of Ms. Prameela, her husband Dhananjay and Mr. Sambasiva Rao.
Ms. Ramadevi had allegedly transferred an amount of ₹95,00,000 and ₹60,00,000 into the accounts of Mr. Sambasiva Rao and Mr. Muni Shankar respectively. In addition to that, several deposits were made in the accounts of Mr. Sambasiva Rao and Mr. Muni Shankar, the CID alleged.
All the above benamidars had allegedly offered their purchased lands jointly, or individually, to the APCRDA, and got returnable plots from the APCRDA to the extent of 75,880 sq. yards. The extent allegedly included some specially designed plots measuring (in sq. yards) 7,620, 8,880, 6,750, and 25,000 with direct connectivity to the arterial Seed Access Road.
‘Proceeds of crime’
The CID alleged that Mr. Narayana had purchased agricultural lands in the names of his close associates and relatives by transferring huge amounts into their accounts before registration of the documents.
Apart from this, the money received in the form of annuities for the land surrendered to the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) was again transferred to the entities belonging to the Mr. Narayana, the CID alleged.
“For the above reasons, the returnable plots and the annuity amounts received are being treated as proceeds of crime,” the CID said in its report.
The government issued orders authorising the Investigation Officer to represent to the ACB Court seeking attachment of the properties.
