Eight arrested in Srikakulam land grab case, former Speaker named in FIR
Eight persons have been arrested in connection with a land-grabbing case in Srikakulam district, police said on Sunday. The First Information Report (FIR) names 13 individuals, including former Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Thammineni Seetharam and his family members.
Srikakulam Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheswara Reddy stated that the accused are charged with tampering with documents, submitting false death certificates, and other fraudulent means to seize land valued at approximately ₹4 crore.
Those arrested are Adabala Rajani, Telugu Satish Kumar, Saripalli Lakshmana Rao, M. Upendra Kumar, J. Upendra Rao, Mamidi Gopala Krishna, Sambana Sambasiva Rao, and Kuna Peddi Raju, a document writer. The FIR also names Mr. Seetharam, his family members Thammineni Vani, Thammineni Srirama Chiranjeevi Naga, and Boddepalli Aruna, a Sub Registrar in Hiramandalam, as accused in the alleged scam and creation of false legal heir certificates.
According to the investigation, T. Kanakalingeswara Rao, a resident of Chapuram, purchased three house sites in Survey No. 35/13 within Chapuram gram panchayat limits in 1992 and 1999. The accused allegedly created fake documents and obtained a false death certificate in Rao's name. Subsequently, they procured legal heir certificates and began constructing a boundary wall around the sites, police said.
The accused took advantage of the landowner's prolonged absence from the village and attempted to take possession of the property, according to police. The matter came to light when Rao's family approached the rural police, alleging that land grabbers had created false legal heir certificates to claim the land.
The SP stated that the investigation has revealed fabrication of forged documents, false claims of inheritance, and fraudulent registrations. He asserted that all 13 accused will be arrested after the investigation concludes.
Mr. Reddy urged the public to verify documents carefully and obtain necessary information from revenue and sub-registrar offices before purchasing property.
