Hyderabad: BJP MP TG Venkatesh named as accused in Banjara Hills land row

HYDERABAD: BJP Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh, T G Venkatesh, has been made an accused in the case of alleged trespassing on a prime land parcel filed by the Banjara Hills police on Sunday. Earlier, the police arrested 63 people in connection with the case involving a two-acre property on Banjara Hills Road No 10.
This prime land parcel worth crores of rupees was allotted to AP Gems and Jewellery Park, by the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government in 2005, once owned by fugitive Mehul Choksi.
Later, the company was taken over by the Hyderabad-based Ace Urban Developers Ltd through a NCLT court order.
On Sunday, Banjara Hills police registered a criminal case against 63 persons on charges of trespassing on AP Gems and Jewellery Park land. Some of them were allegedly in possession of arms and threatened the security guard posted at the prime property.
Police said that six of the accused have confessed to the crime so far and that the names of T G Viswa Prasad (accused no 1) and T G Venkatesh (accused no 5) were given by P Subhash (accused no 3). The latter claimed that the duo supported them and arranged the other accused.
Following the development, Viswa Prasad — businessman and nephew of Venkatesh — issued a video statement from the US clarifying his position.
He claimed that his company entered into an agreement for development of the property adjacent to the land belonging to AP Gems and Jewellery Park.
“We signed an agreement to construct a commercial building on the land parcel. I don’t know if this is a case of misunderstanding or people have other intentions behind framing us. In the past too people have tried to access our land and we have had to go to court to get an injunction order after submitting proof that the land belonged to us,” he said.
About the Sunday’s incident Viswa Prasad said that on the the advice of his lawyer and to keep the land safe they allowed one Subhash, a film producer, to access it for a film event.
“About 70 people from our native place came to attend the event. We organised the event as we have a court order in our favour. But police, for some reason, took all those persons into custody and filed a false case,” he added.