SIT to probe into alleged land irregularities in Amaravati capital region

The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into alleged irregularities, particularly land deals in the Amaravati capital region, during the previous Telugu Desam Party regime.

The report of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on the “procedural, legal and financial irregularities and fraudulent transactions concerning various projects, including issues related to land in the CRDA region” will form the basis for the SIT probe, an order issued by General Administration Department Principal Secretary (Political), Praveen Prakash said.

The SIT headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police-rank IPS officer, will enquire, register, investigate and conclude the investigation according to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code on the subject matter, it said.

Related news | Politics over Amaravati: New alibis, bizarre reasons for shifting the capital

The SIT, which has two other IPS officers and other police officials, will also function as a nodal single point contact, including for sharing of information and coordinate with the state and Central investigating agencies if required.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government in June 2019 to “review major policies, projects, programmes, institutions established (Corporations, Societies, etc) and key administrative actions since the bifurcation of AP on June 02, 2014” impacting the state’s development.

The Sub-Committee presented the first part of its report to the government in December last, highlighting the various procedural, legal and financial “irregularities and fraudulent Transactions” concerned with various projects, including the issues related to land in the CRDA region.

The report was tabled and discussed in the state Assembly after the Cabinet accepted it.

Related news | Stir over Amaravati: TDP chief, other leaders held in Vijayawada

Subsequently, the government decided to get the issue inquired by a specialised agency and thus constituted the SIT.

Intelligence DIG Kolli Raghuram Reddy will head the SIT, which also has SP-rank IPS officers Babujee Attada and V Appala Naidu.

The SIT will later be notified as a “police station” as per provisions of the CrPC.

Among other things, the SIT will investigate “insider trading” of land committed by several individuals having prior knowledge of the location of the new capital and alleged manipulation of boundaries of the capital under Land Pooling Scheme for monetary gains through appreciation of land value.

No time frame has been set for the SIT to complete the investigation and file a charge-sheet.