SC dismisses plea against AP HC order quashing case against CM Chandrababu Naidu, minister

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Andhra Pradesh High Court order quashing a case against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and minister P Narayana in connection with alleged irregularities in the land pooling scheme in capital Amaravati.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said it is not inclined to interfere with the high court order and clarified that the outcome of the petition will not have bearing on other cases, which should be adjudicated on its own merits.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Alla Rama Krishna Reddy, submitted that there were large-scale irregularities in the case which involved land of around 30,000 acres of over 25,000 farmers.

The bench told Kumar, "On the larger issue of farmers, we are with you. Whatever they are entitled to, we will protect."

The CJI, however, pointed out that the present criminal proceedings were at the instance of a political rival and no farmer had come forward.

"Political battles should not be fought in court," the CJI told Kumar and disposed of the petition filed by Reddy challenging the July 15 order of the high court at Amaravati.

The FIR was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act on March 12, 2021, following a complaint by then MLA Alla Rama Krishna Reddy over the land pooling scheme announced as per a 2016 government order.

The CID, which probed the case, had named Naidu, Narayana and others as accused, and charged them under various sections of IPC, SC/ST Act, and Assigned Lands Act.

The high court earlier stayed all further proceedings in the case following the filing of petitions by Naidu and Narayana for quashing of the case.

Under the land pooling scheme, the Andhra Pradesh government acquired agricultural land from farmers for the development of Amaravati, the capital city, in return for developed residential and commercial plots.

Under the scheme, farmers were to receive 1,000 square yards of residential land and 250 square yards of commercial land for every acre of agricultural land surrendered for the capital project.

According to the records, 28,181 landowners across 25 villages had contributed 35,215 acres of private agricultural land for the development of Amaravati.

The scheme was presented as an alternative to conventional compulsory land acquisition, with landowners receiving developed plots in the proposed capital in return for pooling their agricultural holdings.