HC says ‘no’ to stay on probe into ex-MLA land grab case

Hyderabad: Telangana high court has refused to stay the ongoing police probe into alleged land grabbing by Armoor former MLA A Jeevan Reddy in Mokila and Chevella areas. The extent alleged to have been grabbed in Mokila and Chevella areas is said to be around 100 acres.
Justice Alishetty Laxmi Narayana refused to grant any interim relief to Jeevan Reddy and his family members and directed the high court registry to post the case before a regular bench which will hear the case when the court reopens on June 3.

The judge heard the argument of Jeevan Reddy’s counsel and verified the record available with him. The counsel for the petitioners sought a stay on the ongoing police probe. Public prosecutor Palle Nageswara Rao opposed relief to Jeevan Reddy and his family, contending that what they had done fell within the purview of a crime.
Following complaints from Sama Damodar Reddy, a businessman from Rajendranagar, police registered two FIRs against the former MLA, his wife and mother along with his associates. There was coercion and forcible registration of plots when the BRS govt was in power, the complainant said.
Jeevan Reddy and his family members filed two separate petitions urging the court to quash the FIRs against them. They contended that there was a civil suit pending before a civil court on the same land and the complainant was trying to give it a criminal colour to the same by loding FIRs against them.
When the pleas first came up before Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, he recused from hearing the case. The case then came up before Justice Laxmi Narayana, who was presiding over another vacation court on Thursday.
What is the controversy and the complaint?
According to investigators the crux of the issue was about an MoU entered into between Jeevan Reddy and Damodar Reddy in 2016. Damodar Reddy has 175 acres in between Chevella and Mokila areas. Out of this it was agreed to transfer 113 acres to Jeevan Reddy and his family members. In return Jeevan Reddy would transfer 30,000 sq feet commercial space he has at Kompalli. The grievance of the complainant is that though Damodar transferred the 113 acres in favour of Jeevan, the latter did not give the promised commercial space. More over Jeevan grabbed the whole of 175 acres and built a compound wall around it and was preventing Damodar from entering into the land.
Since the land in question falls under the purview of two police stations, Chevella and Mokila, the police officials of both stations are probing into the issue.