Andhra liquor scam: Fresh charge sheet highlights Jagan’s alleged role

Vijayawada, Aug 12 The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the liquor scam that allegedly occurred during the YSRCP regime, has stated in the supplementary charge sheet that then Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy allegedly played a role in the Rs 3,500 crore scam.

In the 124-page charge sheet filed in the ACB court here on Monday, the SIT has listed details of the decisions taken by the Chief Minister to modify the excise policy to use the liquor business for illegally amassing wealth.

It is alleged that low-profile individuals, including office employees, were used to launder kickbacks from liquor companies. Employees, including office boys working in the companies owned by the accused, were used as couriers to deposit illicit cash into a network of bank accounts linked to the syndicate.

The chargesheet mentions a meeting held in July 2019 and chaired by then Chief Minister concerning the new liquor policy, which brought under its ambit the state-run Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Ltd (APSBCL).

According to SIT, decisions relating to the number of shops, hiring of shop premises, shop infrastructure, manpower, transportation chargers, etc, were taken during the meeting.

It also accused Jagan of influencing the appointment of D. Vasudeva Reddy as the Managing Director of APSBCL.

The charge sheet also named the DGP intelligence PSR Anjaneyulu. The SIT alleged that the IPS official made 60 calls to the accused.

In the supplementary chargesheet, the SIT focused on the role of three accused - K. Dhanunjaya Reddy, Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office; Krishna Mohan Reddy, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the then Chief Minister; and Director of Bharati Cements, Balaji Govindappa. They are listed as accused numbers 31, 32 and 33, respectively.

Investigations with regard to cash transfers by the accused figure in the additional charge sheet. The SIT also highlighted the links of the three accused with the prime accused Kasireddy Rajashekhar Reddy, former IT Adviser to former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The SIT had a preliminary chargesheet on July 19. It had named Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was one of the recipients of the kickbacks.

Though Jagan Mohan Reddy’s name figures in the 305-page chargesheet, he was not named as an accused in the case.

The SIT had stated that the accused formed a syndicate to collect commissions or kickbacks from the distillery companies. They allegedly collected about Rs. 3,500 crore from 2019 to 2024.

According to SIT, the syndicate members gave purchase orders to the companies which agreed to their demand to pay commissions, suppressed the regular and popular brands, promoted new liquor brands, coerced the company managements to pay commissions, opened government retail outlets, and maintained a manual system as per their convenience to collect huge amounts.

SIT alleged that an average of Rs 50 to 60 crore was collected every month from distilleries and routed through a network of aides and shell companies.

According to the charge sheet, the liquor policy was designed by the YSRCP government to exert full control over alcohol distribution, allowing accused officials to extract hefty commissions. The majority portion of such kickbacks was received in cash, gold or bullion.

The preliminary chargesheet had allegations against nine companies and seven individuals.

A total of 19 companies and 29 individuals have so far been named as accused.

The SIT has so far arrested 12 accused, including YSRCP MP Peddireddy Midhun Reddy. The arrested accused are Kasireddy (A1), Buneti Chanakya (A8), Pyla Dileep (A30), Sajjala Sridhar Reddy (A6), K. Dhanunjay Reddy (A31), P. Krishnamohan Reddy (A32), Govindappa Balaji (A33), Venkatesh Naidu (A34), Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy (A38), Peddireddy Midhun Reddy (A4), Balaji Kumar Yadav (A35) and E. Naveen Krishna.

--IANS

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