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Hyderabad, Oct 14 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged liquor scam on Tuesday searched the premises of YSR Congress Party floor leader in Lok Sabha Peddireddy Midhun Reddy.
SIT sleuths conducted searches at the Rajampet MP’s residences in Hyderabad, Tirupati and Bengaluru.
In Hyderabad, the SIT searched the YSRCP MP’s houses in Administration Nagar and Gayatri Hills, Yousufguda. SIT officials also searched his office in Kondapur area.
Midhun Reddy is one of the accused in the Rs 3,200 crore liquor scam, which allegedly took place during the YSRCP regime. The Rajampet MP, who was arrested on 19 July, was released on bail on 30 September.
After his release, Midhun Reddy alleged that he was treated like terrorists in jail.
He accused the coalition government of playing distraction politics by filing fabricated cases against YSRCP leaders. He said that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) always adopts such tactics whenever it comes to power.
He said that the coalition government’s attempt to intimidate its opponents by filing false cases is a foolish act.
After the TDP-led NDA came to power last year, a case was registered at the CID police station in Mangalagiri under sections 409, 420, 120 (B), r/w 34 and 37 of the IPC and sections 7, 7A, 8, 12, 13(1), (B), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) initially took up the investigation following a complaint by an excise department official. Later, the government formed the SIT headed by NTR District Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu to investigate the case.
The SIT found large-scale irregularities and misuse of funds in the liquor policy implemented during 2019-24.
Investigators have reportedly uncovered a bribery network in which around Rs 3,500 crore was siphoned off in five years.
There are allegations that YSR Congress Party leaders encouraged the new liquor policy, introduced new brands, took bribes from distillery companies, causing huge losses to the government.
The SIT has named 48 people in the case, out of which 12 have been arrested.
It has so far filed three chargesheets in the ACB court in Vijayawada. In the supplementary chargesheet, the SIT also highlighted the alleged role played by then Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The SIT has not made Jagan Mohan Reddy an accused in the case, but has alleged that he took the decision to modify the excise policy to use the liquor business to collect money illegally. It alleged that low-profile individuals, including office workers, were used to extort bribes from liquor companies. Employees, including office boys, working in companies owned by the accused were used as couriers to deposit illicit cash into the network of bank accounts linked to the syndicate.
–IANS
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