VIJAYAWADA: Former ministers P Narayana and Pratipati Pulla Rao have been booked by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in the first case against alleged insider trading in Amaravati. This was done based on a complaint by a Dalit woman who said the TDP leaders deceived her into selling her assigned land at a low rate.
In a complaint lodged with the CID on November 27, 2019, the woman, Potharaju Bujji, of Venkatapalem in Thulluru mandal of Guntur district, said that local TDP leader Bellamkonda Narasimha Rao approached the villagers in October 2015 and told them that since the capital would be set up there, their assigned land would be taken over and no compensation would be given. She owned 0.99 cents of land.
Narasimha Rao offered to buy their land, she said, adding that on October 25, 2015, he gave them Rs 20 lakh and made them sign some sheets of stamp paper and some blank sheets. In April 2016, he paid Rs 4 lakh more in exchange for their signatures.
“During the period of these transactions, Pulla Rao and Narayana used to visit the village and hold meetings at the house of Narasimha Rao, who is a close aide of Narayana,’’ she alleged.
Bujji added that in December 2016, they learnt that Narasimha Rao approached the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to offer the land taken from her for development of the capital city. In return, the CRDA allotted a 780 sq yd residential plot and a 180 sq yd commercial building.
“We learnt that Narasimha Rao sold the land for Rs 2 crore to some other person,’’ she alleged and added that the TDP leader also intimidated them into selling their land at a low rate and unduly benefitted by later selling the land for crores. She also apprehended the involvement of the then CRDA and revenue officials.
The CID, during its probe, found that 797 white ration card holders bought 761 acres of land in Amaravati during 2014-15.
The open market value of this land is estimated to be around Rs 220 crore. Other agencies such as the Income Tax (IT) department and the Enforcement Directorate may be asked to join the investigation to probe the allegations of tax evasion and money laundering, officials said.
Interestingly, the government, which earlier announced that it would order for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Lokayuktha or CID probe, is said to have decided to take up investigation into the insider trading allegations based on individual complaints from aggrieved Amaravati farmers.
It may be recalled that the YSRC government alleged insider trading in an extent of 4,070 acres of land during July 2014-December 2014 after information about the location of capital was allegedly leaked to some TDP leaders by those in power.
The issue also came for discussion in the ongoing State Assembly sessions and a resolution was also passed for a detailed investigation into the allegations.
Dalit lodges plaint against TDP leaders
The ministers were booked after a Dalit woman alleged that the TDP leaders deceived her into selling her assigned land at a low rate. Potharaju Bujji, said B Narsimha Rao approached the villagers in Oct 2015 and told them that the capital would be set up and their assigned land would be taken over