Setback for Chandrababu; ACB court orders AP CID to attach Lingamaneni guest house
However, it had asked the CID to issue notices to Ramesh and Chandrababu Naidu before taking any further step
VIJAYAWADA: An Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Vijayawada directed the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (AP CID) on Friday to attach the Lingamaneni guest house on the banks of Krishna River. The house is being used by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, N Chandrababu Naidu amid accusations that he received it as part of a quid pro quo deal with Lingamaneni Ramesh. Naidu has been living there since 2015.
The ACB Court gave its order on a petition filed by the CID seeking permission to attach the guest house. The CID had issued a notice for attaching the said property in accordance with the provisions of Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance of 1944. It alleged that the guest house was reportedly given to the former chief minister free of cost in exchange for allegedly benefitting its owner Lingamaneni Ramesh and his relatives in the realignment of Amaravati capital city master plan.
The CID also alleged that Naidu had exempted Ramesh’s lands from land pooling, which was implemented in 29 villages falling under the capital region. The TDP government pooled in the lands from farmers for the proposed plan to build Amaravati.
The Andhra Pradesh Home Department ordered the CID to attach the guest house on May 12 to prevent its disposal or the creation of any encumbrance. After several rounds of hearing on the petitions challenging the move, the CBI court on Friday authorised the CID to attach the guest house. However, it had asked the CID to issue notices to Ramesh and Chandrababu Naidu before taking any further step.