Nagaram land case: After questioning IAS officer Amoy Kumar, ED searches accused’s houses in old city

Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate (ED has searched the houses of three persons in the old city in Hyderabad as part of the investigation into a criminal conspiracy regarding ownership of land in Nagaram.

ED is searching the house of Munavar, Khairunnisa, and one Sharof in the old city.

ED has earlier questioned IAS officer Amoy Kumar and other officials. ED raids have once again brought the case from the cold storage.

What is the case?

The case has also gained significant attention since Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has announced prioritising the protection of government and Bhoodan land.

Earlier, the ED questioned Amoy Kumar in the case. However, so far, he has not been named as an accused nor has his name featured in the FIR copy, which NewsMeter has obtained. Amoy Kumar served as the Medchal-Malkajgiri and Ranga Reddy collector and as the joint secretary to the government.

Currently, he is posted as the joint secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries (AHDD & F).

The case that brought the IAS officers on ED’s radar

Complainant Dastagir Shareef (61) and Muzaffir Husain had approached the police over their alleged ownership of 42 acres of land in Nagaram Village, Maheshwaram Mandal, Rangareddy District.

In March 2023, an FIR was registered by Maheshwaram police, falling under Rachakonda Police Commissionerate limits, based on court orders.

According to the complainant, they (Dastagir and Muzaffir) purchased the property from Akber Ali Khan and Mohd. Farooq Ali Khan, who became owners of the property by an oral gift from the late Nawab Haji Khan.

The complainant said that, from 2021 to date, government employees Khaderunnisa (Accused 1), Mohd Munawar Khan (Accused 2), RP Jyothi (Accused 3), Maheshwaram Mandal revenue officer/tahsildar/joint sub-registrar, Bobbili Dumodar Reddy (Accused 4), Bobbili Viswunath Reddy (Accused 5), N Santosh Kumar (Accused 6) and Kondapally Sridhar Reddy (Accused 7) planned to obtain the land illegally.

The complainant alleged that all seven had planned a criminal conspiracy by issuing title deeds and registration of documents against his interests, which is an abatement by a serving public servant. Based on a court direction, a case was registered (83/2023) in 2023.

‘Civil in nature’

In the final report submitted by the cops, it was found that the 42 acres in Nagaram village are Patta land, and there is no government interest involved.

The final report stated that the dispute between the complainant and the alleged respondents of the case appears to be ‘civil in nature’. Civil cases and writ petitions before the civil court and the Telangana High Court are pending between the parties for adjudication. Given the civil nature of litigation between the parties, it is a case fit to be referred to as civil, the final report said.

As part of the investigation into the case, since IAS Amoy Kumar was the collector of Ranga Reddy at the time he was issued the summons.