Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) police have served notices to retired police officer M. Sivananda Reddy, a Telugu Desam leader, and others, asking them to appear for questioning in connection with a 281-acre land dispute case in Budwel, Rajendranagar.A few days ago, the CCS police had gone to Alur of Nandikotkur mandal in AP’s Nandyal district to take custody of Sivananda Reddy but he escaped from the scene. A case was booked against him with the Brahmankotkur police. The CCS police arrested his wife M. Uma Devi and their son Kanishka the same day.Sivananda Reddy and his family moved the High Court, which directed that no coercive steps be taken against them and that the police must issue them notice under CrPC Section 41-A for questioning.On Friday, Uma Devi, son Kanishka and one Pyreddy Prashanth Reddy attended the questioning, and told the police that Sivananda Reddy used to take care of important affairs of the construction company, SK Developers, including buying land.Giving the background to the case, CCS DCP N. Swetha Reddy said that in 1994, the then government had assigned 281 acres of agriculture surplus land in Survey No.s 282 to 299 situated at Budvel village, Rajendranagar mandal, for beneficiaries from the Scheduled Caste community. Later, the Chevella revenue divisional officer (RD) cancelled all the pattas, alleging that the assignees had given the land on lease to SK Developers which violated the agreement. The official handed over the land to the HMDA and the tourism department.The assignees moved the High Court seeking directions to set aside the RDO’s cancellation orders. Subsequently the assignees requested the government to give developed plots in the same land.DCP Swetha Reddy said that when the matter was pending with the government, some persons identified as T.J. Prakash, Koneru Gandhi as Dasharatha Ramarao approached assignees and promised to settle the dispute by ‘managing’ the officials and politicians. “The assignees executed agreements wth them despite having full knowledge of the nature of land,” the DCP said. Prakash, through one Dayanand approached Sivananda Reddy, who was then running a real estate and construction business. He lured them meagre amounts of about `12,000 per square yard, when the market was much higher, to hand over the land.In the 2021-22 period, he handed over cheques of `5 lakh and `10 lakh to the assignees, which was the beginning of the conspiracy to grab the land, DCP Swetha Reddy said.She said that investigation had revealed that Sivananda Reddy and other had lobbied to changing the nature of land at various levels from 2019 to 2023. This resulted in the Rajendranagar mandal revenue officer issuing a simple memo to allot developed plots through conveyance deeds to the assignees and encroachers.
Source link
