Andhra Pradesh liquor scam: SIT files additional charge sheet

Vijayawada, Aug 11 Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the liquor scam that allegedly occurred during the YSRCP regime, filed additional charge sheet on Monday.

The 200-page charge sheet was filed in ACB court here.

In this charge sheet, the SIT is learnt to have focused on the role of three accused -K. Dhanunjay Reddy, Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office; Krishna Mohan Reddy, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to then Chief Minister; director of Bharati Cements Balaji Govindappa. They are listed as accused number 31, 32 and 33 respectively.

Investigations with regard to cash transfers by the accused including Rs.11 crore seized recently near Hyderabad also reportedly 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 latest charge sheet also reportedly highlights the modus operandi to send cash to the ultimate beneficiary.

The SIT had preliminary charge sheet on July 19. It had charges 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.

The SIT is continuing the investigation in the case. A third charge sheet is likely to be filed later.

The SIT had stated in the first charge sheet 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.

The charge sheet also stated that YSRCP president former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, was one of the recipients of the kickbacks.

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

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. Majority portion of such kickbacks was received in cash, gold or bullion.

The SIT claimed that kickbacks began at 12 per cent of the base price and were later increased to 20 per cent.

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