Vijayawada, May 14 K. Dhanunjaya Reddy, a retired IAS officer and ex-secretary of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Krishna Mohan Reddy, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) on Wednesday appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore liquor scam.
The SIT officials were questioning them at the SIT office, Vijayawada Commissionerate.
Dhanunjaya Reddy and Krishna Mohan Reddy are accused numbers 31 and 32, respectively, in the case relating to the alleged scam during the YSR Congress party rule.
On their petitions for anticipatory bail, the Supreme Court directed SIT not to take any action against the accused till May 16 but asked them to appear before SIT.
The SIT recently added them, along with Bharati Cements Director Balaji Govindappa, in the liquor scam case.
Govindappa, listed as accused number 33, was arrested by the SIT in Mysuru in Karnataka, and he was brought to Vijayawada.
The SIT had served notices last week to Govindappa and two others. They were directed to appear before the SIT office at Vijayawada Commissionerate on May 12 for questioning. However, they skipped the appearance.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 7 had rejected their anticipatory bail pleas, citing the preliminary stage of the investigation into the alleged scam of Rs 3,200 crore.
It was alleged that the YSR Congress Party leaders encouraged a new liquor policy, floated new brands during YSRCP rule, received kickbacks from the distillery companies and caused huge losses to the government.
Raj Kasireddy, the prime accused in the case, was allegedly handing over the bribe to the trio after collecting from the owners of the liquor companies.
The SIT on April 21 arrested Kasireddy in the multi-crore liquor scam that occurred during the YSR Congress Party regime.
Kasireddy is suspected to have played a key role in the alleged illegal collection of nearly Rs 3,000 crore over a five-year period. He was the IT advisor to the then chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The TDP-led NDA government constituted the SIT in November last year to investigate the allegations of irregularities and corruption in Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL) under the YSRCP tenure.
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