The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the irregularities committed to make changes to the alignment of Amaravati capital Inner Ring Road (IRR), declared former chief minister and TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh as Accused No 14 (A14) in the case.
It filed a memo to this effect in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Vijayawada on Tuesday, 26 September.
The CID alleged that Lokesh played a crucial role in trying to make changes to the alignment of the inner ring road to benefit certain people.
He is was also facing allegations of helping industrialist Lingamaneni Ramesh’s family in the capital region. Ramesh is A3 in this case.
Also read: Is TDP scion Nara Lokesh’s arrest imminent? Yes it is, contends YSRCP
Naidu’s name mentioned in the case
The names of Chandrababu Naidu and former municipal administration minister P Narayana, along with other private individuals and companies, were also mentioned in the case.
Chandrababu Naidu and Narayana’s names were included in the case as they played a key role in designing the master plan and accordingly trying to make changes to the alignment of the Amaravati IRR.
Based on a complaint lodged by the YSRCP MLA A Ramakrishna Reddy, the CID registered the case against them in 2022 for allegedly committing illegal activities pertaining to the capital city – Amaravati — within a few months of coming to power in 2014, which continued till 2019.
Reddy alleged that the then ruling party leaders, including Chandrababu Naidu, Narayana and others designed the master plan for the Andhra Pradesh Capital and alignment of the IRR.
Also read: CID has nailed Naidu with evidence, says CM Jagan
‘Caused wrongful gains’
He alleged that arterial roads were connected to the master plan to cause wrongful gain to some selected persons and companies associated with the decision-making authorities to get benefits, thereby causing loss to the public and the government exchequer.
The case was booked under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and also under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
It was alleged that Chandrababu Naidu, who was also an ex-officio chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA), and others have alienated assigned lands in the capital region.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh High Court reserved the order on the petition filed by Chandrababu Naidu seeking bail in a case registered against him in connection with the violence in Angallu in Annamaiah district in Andhra Pradesh.
After hearing the arguments of the prosecution and defence counsels, the court reserved the order.
In another court-related development, the ACB Court posted the matter related to Chandrababu Naidu’s bail and his custody petition filed by the CID to Wednesday.
