Political figures in the previous government allegedly manipulated land transfers from the prohibited to freehold category, misappropriating them. Sub-registrars were reportedly coerced into registering the lands in their names
Published Jan 07, 2025 | 6:18 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 07, 2025 | 6:37 PM
Jailed sub-registrar’s letter exposes ₹600 crore land scam under YSRCP government
A letter purportedly written by a retired sub-registrar currently in judicial remand to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, has opened a can of worms.
The revelation exposed a gang of five individuals, backed by political figures from the previous YSRCP government, who illegally acquired vast land holdings using forged documents. These properties are estimated to be worth around ₹600 crore.
The lands appropriated included those belonging to the Endowments Department, the state government and those mired in court litigations. They had the documents registered in their name, after allegedly black mailing Ibrahimpatnam Sub-Registrar Lala Bala Dharam Singh.
The entire scheme unfolded over just a few days between 2022 and 2023.
The key figures in the scam are actor Vanam Divya (also known as Rithu Chowdary), Cheemakurthi Srikanth, and two others, including K. Nageswara Rao, a former PA to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. All were reportedly backed by YS Sunil Reddy, the cousin of the then-chief minister. There is suspicion that the individuals involved were merely frontmen for YSRCP leaders.
The lands, registered under their names, span locations such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Rajahmundry, and Kadiam. Exploiting registration facilities, the properties were registered at the Ibrahimpatnam sub-registrar’s office.
The key player in the scam was the Ibrahimpatnam sub-registrar Lala Bala Naga Dharam Singh. Those who were behind the benamis, had forced him to register the documents, threatening to initiate action against him for indulging in corruption between 2021 and 23. Dharam Singh, who was afraid, registered these documents and when he was asked to do similar registrations later on, he refused to do it.
Furious with his disobedience, the political forces who were behind the land scam, sent the ACB officers who raided him in November, 2023. But he managed to escape. He was arrested after the advent of the NDA government and sent to judicial remand on 31 December, 2024. He is now in judicial remand till 10 January, 2025. He wrote the letter to the chief minister and Lokesh about four months ago.
Despite the misappropriation of ₹600 crore worth of land, no complaints were filed, as the lands in question belonged to either the government or the Endowments Department. While whispers about the scam circulated, the YSRCP government allegedly suppressed them. It appears the Jagan administration exploited relaxed rules for buying and selling assigned lands, instructing the sub-registrar to reclassify these properties and register them as assigned lands under benamis’ names.
Assigned lands are granted by the government to the poor without conferring ownership rights. Beneficiaries can use the land for agriculture, but cannot sell it. The government retains the right to reclaim such lands at any time.
According to sources, Jagan’s PA K Nageswara Rao and Jagan’s cousin Sunil Reddy were allegedly the backbone for the benamis in whose name the lands had been registered. KNR and Sunil Reddy did political lobbying while Srikanth was the wheeler-dealer, doing the actual ground work.
In a letter to the chief minister, Dharam Singh accused Srikanth of taking him to Goa, where he and his family were threatened to force him into registering land transactions. Despite registering lands worth hundreds of crores, Singh claimed KNR’s associates continued to pressure him. When he refused to comply further, they allegedly threatened him with more ACB raids. On 17 November, 2023, ACB teams raided the homes of his daughters and relatives, pressuring them to claim that the properties were acquired by Dharam Singh. The ACB also sought details about funds used for temple development in Kolluru, Singh’s hometown, suspecting the money was obtained through fraudulent means.
The ACB, which was allegedly used by the YSRCP during its time in power, is now investigating the anonymous political figures who coerced Dharam Singh into registering documents in the names of benamis linked to YSRCP leaders.
The ACB officials are going through the letter Dharam Singh had written to the chief minister. The officials are now focusing on the call data of Dharam Singh. Besides the ACB, the CMO is also independently inquiring into the murky affair. They are also examining the call data of KNR, YS Sunil Reddy, Srikanth, and Rithu Chowdary. They are also going through the call data of an MLC who is very close to them and that of his gunmen. The ACB officials are delving deep into the call data of three sub-registrars who worked in Kakinada district between 2021-24.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
