“How Is This a Criminal Case?”: High Court Questions CID

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has raised serious questions over the cases filed against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Minister P. Narayana in connection with the Amaravati assigned lands issue. In a sharp hearing, the court pulled up both the CID and former MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, questioning the very basis on which criminal cases were registered.
The controversy dates back to the previous YSRCP government, when CID registered cases against Chandrababu and Narayana based on a complaint filed by then Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy. The allegation was that there were irregularities in the purchase of assigned lands in the Amaravati capital region. Challenging these cases, Chandrababu and Narayana approached the High Court seeking to quash them.
During the hearing, Justice Y. Lakshmana Rao expressed strong displeasure over the manner in which the cases were filed. The court questioned how a policy decision taken by a government could be treated as a criminal offense. It observed that if there are objections to a government order, the proper course is to challenge it legally, not to initiate criminal proceedings.
The bench also raised concerns about the role of CID officials, asking under what authority an FIR was registered immediately after a complaint from a sitting MLA. The court questioned whether due permissions were obtained before filing the case and sought clarity on the involvement of the Additional Director General who ordered the FIR. It further asked whether the officer was still in service or had retired.
Taking a serious view, the High Court indicated that action could be considered against officials who allegedly registered the case without proper approvals, possibly influenced by political motives. The bench directed CID to submit complete details explaining the basis of the case.
On behalf of CID, Additional Public Prosecutor Panini Somayaji requested more time to present the details, following which the court adjourned the hearing to Wednesday. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra represented Chandrababu in the case.
With the High Court’s strong observations, the case has taken a dramatic turn, putting the spotlight on the actions of the previous government and investigative agencies.
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