Fake death, real land, ex Andhra Speaker arrested in Rs 4 crore fraud

Srikakulam Rural Police in Andhra Pradesh arrested eight people, including former Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, in an alleged land grabbing conspiracy. The case centres on forged documents, a fake death certificate and questions over the property registration process.Prime land targeted with fake legal heir documents, eight held in Andhra PradeshSrikakulam Rural Police have arrested eight people, including former Andhra Pradesh Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, in connection with a land-grabbing conspiracy involving forged government documents, fake death certificates and fabricated inheritance records to illegally acquire a prime property worth around Rs 3-4 crore.Addressing a press conference, Srikakulam Superintendent of Police K.V. Maheshwar Reddy said 13 people have been named in the case. Eight key accused have been arrested and produced before a court, while special police teams are searching for the remaining five suspects.The case came to light after a complaint was filed over a vacant 900-square-yard plot in Survey No. 35/13, comprising Plot Nos. 84, 85 and 86 at Sathya Sai Nagar in Chapuram Gram Panchayat, Balaga. According to police, the land was legally purchased in 1988 and 1992 by the complainant's father, who later moved to Hyderabad for work, leaving the property vacant.Police said the accused allegedly exploited the prolonged vacancy of the land by collecting original link documents relating to the property and creating forged records to claim ownership. Investigators found that the syndicate prepared a fake death certificate declaring the original owner, Andavarapu Govindarajulu, dead, even though he is alive. Using the forged certificate, they allegedly obtained a fraudulent Family Member Certificate and projected accused Adabala alias Andavarapu Rajini as the sole legal heir to facilitate the property's registration.The alleged fraud was uncovered when the accused attempted to construct a boundary wall around the plot. Members of the original owner's family objected to the construction and later approached the police after allegedly being threatened. During the investigation, police identified Telugu Satish Kumar as the alleged mastermind behind the operation. According to the SP, Satish Kumar coordinated the preparation of forged documents and facilitated the fraudulent registration with the help of associates Trinadh and Koona Peddiraju.Police alleged that Tammineni Venkata Sriramulu, son of former Speaker Tammineni Sitaram, was shown as the purchaser of the property. The investigation further found that Tammineni Sitaram and his wife, Tammineni Vani, were also part of the alleged conspiracy. The SP said the three allegedly arranged for four lecturers from a private degree college run by the family in Amadalavalasa to sign as witnesses on the registration documents.The investigation also raised questions over the role of the then Sub-Registrar. Police alleged that the property registration was completed without mandatory PAN card verification or submission of Form 60, despite the transaction value exceeding Rs 5 lakh. Authorities said the names and addresses in the supporting documents were also not properly verified before registration.The police have named Sub-Registrar Boddepalli Aruna as an accused, alleging that she facilitated the fraudulent registration. Fake government department rubber stamps and multiple mobile phones allegedly used in the conspiracy have been seized during the investigation.Police said the probe is continuing to trace the remaining accused and determine whether similar fraudulent property transactions were carried out using forged government documents.- EndsPublished By: Zafar ZaidiPublished On: Jul 21, 2026 07:56 IST