Hyderabad: The income tax department’s benami prohibition unit (BPU) has provisionally attached eight properties, including nearly 20 acres of agricultural land in Andhra Pradesh, after allegedly tracing the funds used for their purchase to financial transactions linked to an accused in an illegal cricket betting case.The properties, registered in the name of Katari Vysali, have a book value of ₹1.67 crore but are estimated to be worth several crores at current market rates. Income tax authorities identified Vysali as the benamidar, or proxy owner, under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions (PBPT) Act, 1988.The BPU has written to the sub-registrar offices at Chatrai in Eluru district and Bhimavaram in West Godavari district, directing them to prevent the sale, transfer or registration of the attached properties.Sources in the Andhra Pradesh stamps and registration department told TOI that attachment orders had been received for all eight properties and that they had been placed on the prohibited properties list.Four of the properties are in Mankollu village of Chatrai mandal. The land parcels measure 1.8 acres, 8 acres, 6.5 acres and 3.5 acres, taking the total extent to 19.8 acres.The remaining four plots are in Sannavaram village of Bhimavaram mandal in West Godavari district. Measuring 164.9, 306.9, 249.2 and 249.4 square yards, they together span 970.6 square yards.Funds routed through family accountsAccording to the investigation, funds from Jampana Vineet Varma, an accused in an illegal cricket betting case, were repeatedly credited to bank accounts belonging to Vysali’s husband and father.Investigators found that the money was subsequently transferred to her father, Satyanarayana Raju Sagiraju, and that the purchase consideration for all eight properties was paid from his bank account.The department concluded that the family lacked the disclosed financial capacity to acquire the properties. The alleged routing of unexplained funds and the financial trail linked to Vineet prompted authorities to identify Vysali as the benamidar and provisionally attach the assets.Betting case under scrutinyVineet was named as an accused after Andhra Pradesh police raided a premises in Rajanagaram, East Godavari district, in March 2025 and claimed to have uncovered an illegal cricket betting racket.Court records show that Vineet later filed two bail petitions under section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in connection with the betting cases.Sources in the Enforcement Directorate said a PMLA investigation is under way against Vineet and others in connection with an online betting racket.
