Case Filed Against Former Minister Peddireddy and His Family in Land Encroachment Incident

Forest department officials have registered a case against YSR Congress Party leader and Punganur MLA Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, along with his family members, for alleged encroachment of forest land. The case was filed on May 6 in connection with accusations that they illegally occupied forest land in Mangalam Peta of Pulicherla Mandal, located in Chittoor district, causing severe damage to biodiversity.

The accused in this case include Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, his son and Rajampet Member of Parliament Peddireddy Mithun Reddy, his brother and Tamballapalle MLA Peddireddy Dwarakanatha Reddy, and his brother’s wife Indiramma. Forest department officials have stated in their report that the family unlawfully entered the forest land, took control of it in violation of regulations, and also inflicted environmental harm.

The state government responded to this issue following the publication of a major news story titled “Illegal Empire in the Forest” on January 29 this year in a prominent daily newspaper. A committee was formed to investigate the matter, consisting of District Collector Sumit Kumar, Superintendent of Police Manikantha, and Forest Conservator Yashodabai. During their on-site investigation, the committee determined that approximately 27.98 acres of forest land had been encroached upon by members of the Peddireddy family. It was also found that a borewell was illegally dug on the land without any official permissions.

Officials have estimated that the illegal activities have caused biodiversity damage worth over one crore rupees. Currently, efforts are underway to demarcate the boundaries of the encroached forest area with stone markers. This process is expected to be completed within a week. Authorities are preparing to file a chargesheet in the Pakala court in relation to the case.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has reacted strongly to the incident. Following his directive to register criminal cases against the accused, relevant officials are engaged in deliberations regarding the next course of action. There are indications that disciplinary measures may be taken against government officials suspected of assisting in the illegal activities, as their roles are also under scrutiny.