AP High Court posts hearing on CID petition to reopen assigned land case to November 1

AMARAVATI: Justice V Krupasagar hearing the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department (CID)’s petition before the High Court posted further hearing on the Amaravati assigned lands case to November 1.

The CID prayed to the High Court to reopen the quash petition’s hearing and to consider the new evidence provided by the sister-in-law of former minister P Narayana. The CID urged the court to take into cognisance the new evidence, while the counsel for Narayana opposed the CID’s move for the introduction of new evidence after the closure of arguments.

The assigned land case, registered on March 12, 2021, was based on the report by Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, MLA of Mangalagiri. Former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and former Minister P Narayana were named as the main accused. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh granted a stay on the investigation on March 19, 2021, and recently completed the hearing on the quash petition filed by the accused.

While the Criminal petition was reserved for orders, the CID officers received new evidence in the form of a voluntary audiovisual statement sent by Ponguru Krishnapriya, the sister-in-law of Narayana (A-2). She gave specific details on how Narayana, the then municipal administration minister, indulged in the illegal purchase of the assigned lands.