Jagan Reddy's close aide detained in Andhra liquor scam case, now in SIT custody

Former Chandragiri MLA, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, a key accused in the alleged multi-crore Andhra Pradesh liquor scam case, will be produced before the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada today. He was detained in Bengaluru yesterday and is now in the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the scam.

Chevireddy, who is known to be closely associated with former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been listed as Accused No 38 (A-38) in the case. The alleged scam pertains to the previous government’s tenure, and so far, nine individuals have been arrested. The SIT has questioned over 200 people as part of the ongoing probe.

Meanwhile, a constable named Madan wrote a letter to the Director General of Police (DGP), alleging that he was tortured by SIT officers to falsely implicate Chevireddy. Madan, who served as a gunman for Chevireddy for a decade, claimed that SIT personnel punched him on the face and back, and twisted his fingers in an attempt to coerce a false confession.

In the letter, he alleged that the officers tried to force him to state that Rs 200–250 crore had been transported illegally in connection to the case. He also claimed that the torture led to his hospitalisation for six days.

The SIT previously arrested Kasireddy Rajashekar Reddy, the main suspect in the case, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, Telangana, on April 21. The SIT named several individuals in its investigation, including Kasireddy, who was called the 'kingpin of the scam'. Kasireddy served as the IT adviser to former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Supreme Court on May 23 declined to grant any relief to Kasireddy Rajasekhar Reddy, saying it found no merit in the appeal while hearing a petition filed against his arrest.