Jagan demands CBI probe into demolition of 42 houses in Vijayawada

Vijayawada, Dec 16 (PTI) YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into the recent demolition of 42 houses at Joji Nagar here, alleging involvement of highly influential people within the government.

Jagan visited the site today and expressed solidarity with the affected families.

"Only a CBI probe will expose the truth and the role of people in high places behind these demolitions," Jagan told reporters, after interacting with those affected and also promised them legal assistance.

A Vijayawada Municipal Corporation official told PTI that it played no role in the demolition of these houses.

According to Jagan, 42 families living on a 2.1-acre plot reportedly worth around Rs 150 crore had all requisite permission and were paying Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) on housing loans when their homes were razed to the ground.

The former CM accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, IT minister Nara Lokesh and other local leaders of "backing the demolition" to benefit private players.

He claimed that the demolitions were carried out under heavy police presence despite the Supreme Court interim relief order protecting the residents till December 31.

The land grab was facilitated by fake documents created during the previous TDP tenure between 2014 and 2019, with a bogus society registered retrospectively in 2016 to facilitate litigation, he added.

The opposition leader questioned how official permissions were granted if the residents did not own the land and charged the NDA coalition government with "gross misuse of power".

Meanwhile, there was no immediate response from the ruling TDP. PTI MS STH ROH