Andhra liquor scam case: Judicial remand of 12 accused extended till Aug 13

Vijayawada, Aug 1 A special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court here on Friday extended the judicial remand of 12 Andhra Pradesh liquor scam case accused, including YSR Congress Party MP P.V. Midhun Reddy, till August 13.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials produced the accused before the court upon completion of their previous remand period.

Nine accused were brought from the district jail in Vijayawada, while two were brought from Guntur jail. Midhun Reddy was brought to the court from Rajahmundry Jail.

Midhun Reddy, the Lok Sabha member from Rajampet, was arrested in the case on July 19. The court had sent him to judicial custody till August 1.

The custody of 11 accused was also extended till August 1 during the previous hearing on July 22.

The accused include Kasireddy Rajashekar Reddy, former IT Adviser to former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy; K. Dhanunjaya Reddy, Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office; Krishna Mohan Reddy, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to then Chief Minister; Bharati Cements Director Balaji Govindappa, former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Rajashekar Reddy’s personal assistant Dilip Kumar, B. Chanikya, Venkatesh Naidu, and Sajjala Sridhar Reddy.

After the court extended their custody, they were sent back to jail.

The alleged scam had occurred during the YSR Congress Party's rule between 2019 and 2024.

After the TDP-led NDA came to power last year, a case was registered at CID Police Station in Mangalagiri under sections 409, 420, 120 (B), r/w 34 and 37 of IPC and sections 7, 7A, 8, 12, 13 (1), (b), 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) initially conducted an investigation following a complaint by an official of the Excise Department. Later, the government constituted the SIT, headed by NTR District Commissioner of Police S.V. Rajashekhar Babu, to probe the case.

The SIT allegedly found large-scale irregularities and fund misappropriation in the liquor policy implemented during 2019-24.

Investigators reportedly uncovered a kickback network involving nearly Rs 3,500 crore siphoned off over five years.

There are allegations that the YSR Congress Party leaders encouraged a new liquor policy, floated new brands, and received kickbacks from the distillery companies, causing huge losses to the government.

The SIT filed a preliminary charge sheet in the case on July 19. It mentions former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy as one of the recipients of kickbacks. He, however, has not been named as an accused in the case.

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