Agrigold land scam: Former YSRCP minister Jogi Ramesh's son Jogi Rajeev arrested

Vijayawada: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) along with the police arrested YSRCP senior leader and former minister Jogi Ramesh’s son Jogi Rajeev in an alleged land scam involving Agrigold properties in Ambapuram under Vijayawada rural.

Police named Rajeev as accused number one and Jogi Ramesh's brother Venkateswara Rao as accused number two. While cases were registered against eight persons under IPC sections 420, 409, 467, 471 and 120 (B) in this regard. Later, the ACB officials took to Rajeev to their office in Gollapudi to question him.

The details of the other accused included Adusumilli Mohan Rangadas, Venkata Seetha Mahalakshmi, surveyor Dedeepya, mandal surveyor Ramesh, deputy tahsildar Vijay Kumar, Vijayawada rural tahsildar Jahanvi and Vijayawada registrar Nageswara Rao.

A team of 15 officials from the ACB began their search operations at 5 am on Tuesday at the residence of Jogi Ramesh in Ibrahimpatnam, NTR district.

The ACB officials examined the records and documents related to the lands. The accusations against Ramesh date back to his tenure as Housing Minister. He was charged with abusing his position to obtain around 2,300 sq yards of Agrigold lands that were being held by the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

Following their division into plots, Ramesh and his family are said to have sold these lands, which the CID is said to have seized, for crores. The ACB examined numerous documents and records at Ramesh's home following a complaint lodged by Agrigold authorities. According to the officials, Rajeev and his uncle tried to transfer the property into their names by forging paperwork and manipulating land records.

Concerns over a possible arrest in connection with the Agrigold land fraud and another incident involving vandalism at a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) office were voiced by Jogi Ramesh last month. As a result, he had applied for anticipatory bail at the state High Court. The inquiry is expected to continue, and the raid by the ACB represents a significant turning point.

Speaking to the media persons, Jogi Rajeev said that there are no irregularities in the purchase and sale of Agrigold lands. He alleged that the government is resorting to a witchhunt and he was arrested because the government held a grudge against his father.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at Ramesh’s residence after the ACB and police arrested Rajeev. The former minister staged a protest denouncing the state government’s indifferent attitude for illegally arresting his son.

Ramesh accused the Chandrababu Naidu-led government of engaging in politically motivated actions and said that that the charges were part of a campaign to harass his family.

“If the state government proves my family guilty in the alleged Agrigold properties case, I will commit suicide in Vijayawada. It is not at all correct on the part of the government to file fake cases against my son who returned from abroad. Instead, Naidu should focus on the implementation of Super Six promises given to the public," the former minister said.