Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram has been arrested by Srikakulam police over an alleged land-grabbing scheme involving forged documents. Authorities claim the syndicate used fake death certificates to illegally acquire a property valued at Rs 3-4 crore. The ongoing investigation also implicates local officials and private individuals in the property fraud.
Detailed Coverage
Former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Tammineni Sitaram was taken into custody by the Srikakulam Rural Police following allegations of a conspiracy to illegally grab a 900-square-yard plot of land. The property, situated in the Sathya Sai Nagar area of Balaga, is estimated to be worth between Rs 3 crore and Rs 4 crore. Police have named 13 individuals in the case, with eight suspects, including Sitaram, already in custody.
Conspiracy and Forged Documentation
The investigation, led by Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheshwar Reddy, centers on the use of fabricated government records to transfer property ownership. According to authorities, the original owner of the plot, Andavarapu Govindarajulu, is alive. However, the accused allegedly created a fake death certificate in his name and subsequently generated a fraudulent Family Member Certificate to name a false heir as the legal owner. This document was then used to facilitate the registration of the land.
Police reports indicate that Telugu Satish Kumar acted as the alleged mastermind behind the document forgery and registration process. The former Speaker, his son Tammineni Venkata Sriramulu, and his wife Tammineni Vani have been implicated by investigators. The police also allege that four lecturers from a private educational institution run by the family served as witnesses during the registration process.
Registration Irregularities and Official Oversight
A significant portion of the investigation focuses on the role of the local Sub-Registrar, Boddepalli Aruna, who has also been named as an accused. Allegations include the processing of the land registration without necessary legal compliance, such as the mandatory verification of PAN card details or the submission of Form 60 for transactions exceeding Rs 5 lakh. Investigators have recovered fake government rubber stamps and communication devices allegedly utilized to coordinate the fraud.
While the current case is limited to the specific property in Balaga, authorities are continuing their probe to determine if the network was involved in other similar land transactions. The complainant initially alerted police after discovering that a boundary wall was being constructed on their family property, which had been purchased in the early 1990s. The owners reported that they faced threats after confronting the individuals conducting the construction work.
Investors and observers are monitoring the legal proceedings, as the case involves not only high-profile political figures but also questions the integrity of local property registration systems. The next stages of the investigation will involve tracking the remaining five suspects and reviewing additional land registration records handled by the involved officials to assess the full scale of the alleged activities.