Focus is on retrieving ‘Mula Patralu’ linked to burnt files

Tirupati : The investigation into the fire at the Madanapalle sub-collector’s office has been going on in a swift manner. On the third day of the investigation, the revenue, police and CID departments intensified efforts to collect the crucial evidence by retrieving the original documents called ‘Mula Patralu’.

As the government took the incident seriously with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu monitoring the progress personally, the scope of the investigation has broadened to include several revenue officials who are suspected of being involved. Along with present Madanapalle RDO Hari Prasad, former RDO Murali, senior assistant Gowtham Teja who were being questioned on their role in the fire incident, have faced intense questioning on Wednesday as well at the Sub-Collector’s office.

On the police front, disciplinary action has been taken against three police personnel. Annamayya district superintendent of police Vidyasagar Naidu transferred circle inspector Wali Basu to vacancy reserve for not informing higher authorities about the fire. Additionally, constables Hari Prasad and Bhaskar, who were on night duty, have been suspended for their failure to report the incident. Fire services director Venkata Ramana visited the site on Wednesday morning to evaluate the situation and gather information about the fire’s timeline. Special teams from the National Institute of Fire Safety Engineering (NIFSE) units in Nagpur and Bhilai are expected on Thursday to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause and nature of the fire.

Annamayya district collector Ch Sridhar and SP Naidu are personally overseeing the review of evidence and CCTV footage, and questioning office staff. They have identified 25 types of destroyed documents, including records related to 22A assigned and dotted lands, civil cases, web land amendments, mutations, appeals, land conversions, Horsley Hills records, land resurveys, Spandana records, law and order files, civil supplies documents and housing plot allocations.

The district administration has also set up committees led by five key revenue officials. These teams have been dispatched to various tahsildar offices to collect and secure copies of relevant documents. Over the past two days, they have conducted thorough searches and recovered hundreds of files from multiple offices within the Madanapalle sub-collector’s jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the search for YSRCP leader and a follower of former minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, who is suspected of playing a crucial role in the fire incident, is on. Allegations of widespread land grabbing have emerged against him.

A complainant, K Reddeppa from Madanapalle, alleged that his lands were forcibly occupied by Madhava Reddy and that lands in the Basinikonda area were registered under the name of a prominent YSRCP leader’s wife. As the investigation progresses further, more prominent names are expected to come out having links with the case.

Special chief secretary (revenue) RP Sisodia will receive public grievances relating to land disputes personally. Annamayya district collector Ch Sridhar said that Sisodia will be available at the sub-collector office on Thursday from 4 pm and will deal with the land disputes pertaining to the last 2-3 years in the 11 mandals of Madanapalle sub-division.