(Image source from: thenewsminute.com)

In a major development, ex-Chief Minister and TDP Supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu has been served notices by the Crime Investigation Department of Andhra Pradesh in Amaravati land irregularities. The CID officials reached the residence of Chandrababu this morning to serve the notices. CID Chief Sunil Kumar said that the notices are served under 41 CRPF and Chandrababu is asked to attend for the investigation on March 23rd. Eight others apart from Chandrababu Naidu are issued notices by the CID officials. Six CID officials reached the residence of Chandrababu in Hyderabad. The notices are issued over the allegation of inside trading that took place in Amaravati.

Former Minister Narayana received notices from the CID officials. TDP, the major opposition party has been fighting against the leading YSRCP in the state. Both Chandrababu and Narayana will appear before the CID for questioning on March 23rd. TDP spokesperson B Umamaheshwara Rao dismissed the allegations of inside trading and called the CID notices as apart of YSRCP's vindictive acts. CID officials said that the TDP leaders, ministers and other prominent leaders of the party had prior information of Amaravati being made as capital and they purchased the lands around the region at low prices.

CID alleges that the land prices touched the skies after Amaravati was announced as the new capital of the state. On January 19th, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh dismissed the inside trading cases announcing that there is no evidence for the same. The AP Government constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee in June 2019 to investigate about the illegal transactions on Amaravati lands. The sub-committee submitted a detailed report on December 12th, 2020. This turned out to be a rude shock for Chandrababu and the TDP leaders at the time when TDP is struggling badly to bounce back in Andhra Pradesh.

By Siva Kumar