TIRUPATI: After a massive fire erupted at the Revenue Division Office in Madanapalle, Annamayya district on Sunday night and destroyed several important documents, including land records, the State government has ordered a thorough probe into the incident, suspecting sabotage by the YSRC.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took serious note of the incident and instructed Director General of Police (DGP) Dwaraka Tirumala Rao to rush to Madanapalle.
The DGP on Monday asserted that the outbreak of fire was an incident and not an accident. He added that 10 teams have been formed to investigate the case.
The fire broke out around 11 pm on Sunday on the eastern side of the office and caused extensive damage to computers, furniture, and file racks and important documents.
According to officials, Nimmanapalle Village Revenue Assistant (VRA) Ramana, who was on duty as watchman, first noticed the fire. On hearing a loud noise, Ramana alerted the Deputy Tahsildar of Nimmanapalle. Fire tenders were dispatched to the scene immediately. The fire was brought under control after four hours. Senior officials from Rayachoti, the district headquarters, visited Madanapalle to assess the situation. Fortunately, digital copies of the documents were preserved.
Revenue Minister suspects hand of Peddireddy in fire at Madanapalle revenue office
Initial investigation revealed that a Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) was present in the office till 10.30 pm despite it being a Sunday. Preliminary reports indicate that the destroyed files included documents related to assigned lands, 22A lands, disputed properties, and land acquisition for highway projects.
The incident occurred just before the new Sub-Collector, Megha Swaroop, an IAS officer of the 2021 batch, was scheduled to assume duties on Monday. The timing of the fire has raised suspicions, particularly in light of allegations of unauthorised land acquisitions and other forms of irregularities in conversion of lands that have surfaced during the YSRC government’s tenure.
On learning about the incident, the Chief Minister instructed officials to investigate several aspects, including the delayed response of officials to the fire, the presence of a government employee at the site shortly before the fire broke out, the delay in police arrival at the scene, and the collection and analysis of forensic evidence. He stressed the need to gather all relevant evidence, including CCTV footage, cell phone data of individuals present in the area, and information about destroyed files.
On Naidu’s directions, DGP Tirumala Rao and CID chief Ravi Shankar Ayyar flew to Madanapalle, visited the Revenue Division Office and interacted with the AP Southern Power Distribution Company Limited CMD Santosh Raoto identify the possible cause of the fire. District Collector Sridhar Chamakuri confirmed that the fire affected documents related to various subjects, including the 22(A) section.
“We have doubts as there was an RDO in the office working on a Sunday night. Further, he did not alert the Collector about the incident immediately. The local Circle Inspector also did not report the matter to his superiors,” the DGP said.
He stated that matchsticks were found outside the window, further raising doubts. Also, some burnt papers were found 50 metres away from the office and the papers related to transfer of 22 (A) lands, he said.
Rao noted that a short circuit is unlikely to be the cause of the fire as there were no reports of voltage fluctuations in the area. “We have formed 10 special teams to investigate the incident. The case might be transferred to the CID in a day or two,” he added.
Speaking to reporters at the State Secretariat, Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad suspected the involvement of former minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and local YSRC leaders in the incident. “The incident took place days after several irregularities in land allotment and land conversion, involving the former minister came to light,” he said.
Responding to the allegations, the YSRC termed Naidu’s reaction to the incident ‘diversion tactics’. In a post on X, the party said, “Allegations that records were burnt at the Madanapalle Sub-Collector’s office in Chittoor district and Chandrababu’s uproar over it is diversion tactics. Chandrababu is known for such strategies nationwide. This is a blatant attempt to divert public attention from anarchy, political murders, and rapes in the State. Records from the Sub-Collector’s office are also available at the MRO office, district Collector’s office, and the CCLA office, both offline and online.”
The YSRC stated that if anyone is found to be responsible for destroying the land records, they can be investigated and legally prosecuted. “However, sending the DGP and CID chief urgently via helicopter, making false allegations against YSRC leaders, and feeding these falsehoods to media to create chaos, is clearly aimed at diverting attention from the YSRC’s upcoming protests and exhibitions against Chandrababu’s dictatorial rule in Delhi,” the party maintained.
Further, the YSRC remarked, “If the DGP had been similarly dispatched via helicopter to bring to justice the culprits of heinous crimes like the atrocity against a girl in Muchumarri, the brutal murder of Rashid in Vinukonda, it would have been commendable.”