VIJAYAWADA: Intensifying its investigation into the alleged alienation of assigned lands in Mangalagiri and Tadikonda constituencies, the Crime Investigation Department reportedly questioned former Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) commissioner Cherukuri Sreedhar on Friday. Sreedhar served as joint collector of Guntur district and later as CRDA commissioner during the TDP regime and played a crucial role in acquiring lands from farmers in Amaravati.
It is learnt that the CID officials also recorded the statements of former Guntur district collector Kantilal Dande and a few revenue officials, who worked in Guntur and Thullur regions.Sreedhar appeared before the investigating officer (IO) A Lakshmi Narayana Rao.
According to sources, Sreedhar was questioned on the circumstances that led to the issuance of GO 41 by the previous TDP government, which alienated around 500 acres belonging to SCs and STs in Mangalagiri and another 2,000 acres in Tadikonda constituency. The CID officials are also verifying the land transactions made between assigned land holders and buyers in the past.
Based on a complaint lodged by Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy alleging that the previous government adopted fraudulent procedures to take over assigned lands of SCs and STs, the CID filed cases against former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and former minister P Narayana under IPC Sections 166, 167, 217, 120B r/w 34, 35, 36, and 37, and Section (3) (1), (f), (g) of SC/ST POA Act, 1989, and Section 7 of the AP Assigned Lands (POT) Act, 1977. An FIR was registered on March 12 and notices were issued to Chandrababu Naidu and Narayana.On the other hand, the CID officials reportedly recorded the statements of at least three Dalit farmers, who gave their lands for the capital.