NELLORE: A major controversy has erupted in the Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC) following allegations of forgery and misconduct, involving several officials and the husband of Mayor.
In a complaint filed by advocate Kaku Murali, it was alleged that mortgage release deeds were processed without obtaining the necessary Occupancy Certificates from the NMC, with the forged Municipal Commissioner’s signature, by four officials.
According to the complaint, the illegal activity had facilitated the premature release of mortgage deeds for more than 70 building files. The operation was alleged orchestrated by P Jayavardhan, husband of the Mayor, and his assistant G Siva Krishna.
In response to these serious allegations, the NMC issued show-cause notices to the officials involved, including B Praveen, M Devendra, P Nagendra Babu and K Karthik Malavya. Their explanations ranged from outright denial of involvement to claims of being manipulated by Jayavardhan and Siva Krishna.
Following an initial investigation, the NMC has suspended the four officials pending a full inquiry by the Vigilance Department. A request has been made to the Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer of Nellore District for a detailed investigation. A letter has also been sent to the Director General of Vigilance and Enforcement in Vijayawada for a comprehensive inquiry into the matter. A show-cause notice has also been served to Dileep Kumar Chinthada, a structural engineer and licensed technical person, allegedly involved in the scandal.
On Saturday, Municipal Commissioner Vikas Marmat asked for a full-fledged criminal inquiry into the matter, focusing on the main accused Jayavardhan and Siva Krishna as well as the officials involved in it. The case has raised serious concern about the integrity of administrative processes in the municipal corporation.
In a letter to the SP, the Municipal Commissioner emphasised the need for a free and fair investigation to uncover the full extent of the alleged forgery, and to take appropriate action against all those involved.