CID tightens noose around Naidu by seeking PT warrant in Amaravati IRR case

Vijayawada: The AP-CID is tightening its noose around the neck of TD chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu. It has sought the former chief minister’s presence to probe his involvement in the irregularities in Amaravati Inner Ring Road construction.

For this purpose, the CID filed a petition for the issue of a ‘Prisoner in Transit’ warrant, in the ACB special court on Monday. The petition was likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.

The CID booked the case based on a complaint lodged by YSRC MLA of Mangalagiri, Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, in 2022. Based on a preliminary inquiry, the AP CID found that Naidu and then municipal administration minister P. Narayana and others were involved in the change of alignment of IRR to benefit Lingamaneni Ramesh and others by way of alienation of nearly 500 acres of assigned lands.

The CID, in its IRR case, mentioned the accused including Chandrababu Naidu, his son Lokesh, P. Narayana, Lingamaneni Ramesh, Lingamaneni Venkata Suraiya Raja Sekhar and others under IPC Sections 120 B, 420 etc and also under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

By doing so, Naidu allegedly got a house belonging to Lingamaneni Ramesh at Undavalli with no rent while Naidu’s family-owned company Heritage Foods also allegedly got a benefit by way of purchasing lands before notifying the capital city Amaravati.

The then minister Narayana also allegedly got the benefit by way of a hike in the price of lands belonging to the firms linked to him, the investigating agency has said.