Forgery Case: Noose tightens around YSRCP leaders

Nellore: It appears that noose is tightening around the neck of five YSRCP corporators, including Nellore Mayor Potluru Sravanthi’s husband P Jayavardhan and four employees of Nellore Municipal Corporation as the police reportedly registered criminal cases on the charges of forging the signatures of municipal commissioner Vikas Marmath and former commissioner Haritha for releasing the property documents which were mortgaged in the corporation.

The police during the investigation found that six YSRCP corporators and four employees were involved in the crores worth of scam backed by one top YSRCP leader.

Police are preparing ground for arresting the accused following written complaint lodged by Nellore municipal commissioner Vikas Marmat on July 5.

It may be noted that four employees, B Praveen Kumar, M Devendra (both town planning officers Nellore), P Nagendra Babu and Karthik Malavya working in WPRS division were placed under suspension.

If a person wants to construct an apartment or building of more than one floor, as per the norms he should complete the requirements of corporation like showing empty place for road margin, parking place for vehicles, before taking up the construction.

As a guarantee to compliance with rules, it is mandatory for building owner to mortgage the title deeds with the municipal corporation.

After fulfilling the requirements, town planning officer (TPO) verifies the structure before issuing no objection certificate (NOC).

Based on the report of TPO, finally commissioner releases the property documents from mortgage by signing on the papers.

There will be no question of releasing deeds from mortgage without the signatures of concerned departmental clerk and superintendent occupation certificate copy before signing of papers by the commissioner.

However, in this scam, norms were reportedly violated at every stage with interference of Mayor’s husband Jayavardhan.

Building owners got the papers released through backdoor without fulfilling the norms stipulated for constructions.

Title deeds of around 70 buildings were released from mortgage like this, causing crores of rupees loss to the corporation.

Around a month before this scam came to the light, Mayor Sravanthi and her husband sensed danger bells and began damage control measures by approaching Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and tried to join TDP, to shield themselves from repercussions but the MLA ignored their proposal.

It may be recalled that Potluru Sravanthi has become the Mayor of Nellore Municipal Corporation under ST quota only with the initiative of Sridhar Reddy when he was YSRCP MLA.

After Sridhar Reddy quit the YSRCP one year before of 2024 elections, Sravanthi couple first announced in a press meet that they would sail along with Sridhar Reddy as mark of a gratitude.

But just 6 months before the elections, they joined YSRCP’s Adala Prabhakara Reddy group and worked for his victory when he contested on YSRCP banner from Nellore Rural constituency.

After defeat of Prabhakar Reddy, they again wanted to shift Sridhar Reddy camp by ‘tendering an apology’ to him in a press conferences, but he did not buy it.

After this mega scam came to light, municipal administration and urban development minister Ponguru Narayana ordered an inquiry with a three-member committee into the issue.

Following complaint lodged by commissioner Vikas Marmat, police launched a thorough probe into the scam as they are keen on getting the details of the role of one top YSRCP leader.