Probe report pins down Etala Rajendar's kin, report to be submitted on Saturday

Hyderabad: The probe by Vigilance & Enforcement (V&E) and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) into the alleged encroachment of assigned and endowments lands in Masaipet and Devaryamjal by former health minister Etala Rajendar and his family members has been completed.

Officials are expected to submit their inquiry report to the state government by Saturday.

With this, all eyes are on the state government again over its next moves against Rajendar. The probe reports found several irregularities in the purchase and registration of these prohibited lands, it is learnt.

Multiple teams from the two agencies conducted inquiries in Achampet and Hakimpet villages in Masaipet mandal of Medak district and in
Devaryamjal since May first week.

As regards the encroachment of assigned lands by Jamuna Hatcheries owned by Rajendar's kin, the inquiry teams issued notices to 75 farmers in Masaipet to come forward and give evidence. Of them, 61 farmers came in and the remaining 14 farmers submitted petitions seeking a re-survey of their land.

Officials recorded the statements of farmers who complained that Rajendar forced them to sell their assigned lands and took possession of these. They complained that he took these lands for cheap rates and made only part payments.

For the Devaryamjal lands, the inquiry teams visited the Telangana Archives and Research Institute, Tarnaka, to obtain land records of Nizam's era to ascertain how the ownership of these temple lands changed over the years.

Since these records were in Urdu, officials engaged senior Urdu teachers to translate these into English.

Inquiries reportedly found that 160 illegal constructions, which include godowns and guest houses have come up on Devaryamjal temple
lands, mostly owned by Etala's family members and his alleged benamis.

It was found that seven godowns in survey no 735 were constructed in the name of Rajendar's wife Jamuna.

This apart, godowns over an extent of 1.25 lakh sq. ft spread over 12 acres in survey no 57 were constructed allegedly by his benamis.

The CM had ordered the first probe against Rajendar on April 30 after some farmers from Medak district complained that the former minister had grabbed their assigned lands for Jamuna Hatcheries owned by Rajendar’s close relatives.

The Medak collector’s report submitted to the government stated that Rajendar’s family had possessed 66 acres illegally. The former minister’s kin challenged this in the High Court, which however dismissed the report and directed the government not to initiate any action against Rajendar till further orders.

On May 2, the CM ordered another probe by a committee comprising four IAS officials into alleged encroachment of endowment lands in Devaryamjal.  Even that inquiry was questioned by the High Court while hearing a petition which sought a halt to the inquiry.

On May 23, the CM ordered a third probe against Rajendar following a complaint from Pitla Mahesh Mudiraj, a resident of Ravalkol village in Medchal mandal that the former minister's son Nitin Reddy had grabbed his land. This inquiry is still on.