YSR Congress Party MP PV Midhun Reddy will appear in front of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Andhra Pradesh CID on Saturday, which was worth Rs 3,500 crore while investigating the alleged liquor scam. Reddy is likely to be arrested in connection with the case.
Sit had earlier asked Reddy to come forward to record his statement regarding the alleged scam, but he avoided doing so. However, the MP on Friday decided to appear before the SIT after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail application.
A three -time MP of Rajampet filed a special holiday petition challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court on July, allegedly rejection of his anticipatory bail in the case, incorporating the State Beverages Corporation. After the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, the SIT issued a look-out circular against Reddy to prevent the MP from leaving the country.
According to sources in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Reddy was not cooperating with the investigation and several times dodged the summons. In the First Information Report (FIR), the SIT alleged that Reddy was the leader of a group that carried forward a policy in favor of new liquor companies and distilleries in exchange for kickback.
The “Kingpin” of the scam, Sit alleged, KasiriddD was Rajasekhar Reddy aka Raj Kasirddi, who was the advisor of former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Responding to the allegations, YSRCP had earlier accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government of hunting a witch, and said that the SIT has not found any physical evidence against the accused.
Alleged liquor scam
Prior to the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, YSRCP promised a phased ban on liquor and discouraged the consumption of alcohol by increasing its price. On assuming power, the YSRCP government formulated a new liquor policy which came into force in the end of 2019.
Instead of a final ban on liquor in the state, Niti encouraged a money-laundering racket by 2024, according to the SIT set up by the TDP government under N Chandrababu Naidu.
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