HC grants interim relief to ex-speaker, wife in land grab case; son denied protection | Vijayawada News
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh high court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to former assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram and his wife, Vani, in a land-grabbing case involving allegations of forged documents, while declining similar relief to their son, Chiranjeevi Sriram Nagu.The case was registered by the Srikakulam Rural police based on a complaint filed by Katta Jaya Kishore, who alleged that fake death and family certificates were fabricated to portray a woman from Odisha as the legal heir to facilitate the illegal transfer of his land.Sitaram, Vani, and Sriram Nagu approached the high court seeking anticipatory bail. During the hearing, the court noted that Jaya Kishore had filed a civil suit against Sriram Nagu nearly two-and-a-half years before lodging the criminal complaint and had not named Sitaram or Vani as respondents in the civil proceedings.The court further observed that the former speaker and his wife were neither witnesses to the registered sale deed nor specifically named in the police complaint for any direct role in the alleged transaction.Taking into account the delay in filing the complaint and balancing the need for a fair investigation with the petitioners’ personal liberty, Justice Y Lakshmana Rao granted interim anticipatory bail to Sitaram and Vani until the next hearing. However, the court directed Sitaram to appear before the investigating officer on July 29 and as and when required, warning that the interim protection would be withdrawn in the event of non-compliance.The court, however, refused interim relief to Sriram Nagu, noting that he had failed to produce documentary evidence showing payment for the purchase of the disputed land. Given the seriousness of the allegations, the court said it was not inclined to extend interim protection to him at this stage.
