Keep seized currency notes separately, bank told

The Special Court for ACB Cases on Saturday (August 2) directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged liquor scam during the previous regime to record the currency notes seized from a farmhouse in neighbouring Telangana State before depositing in the bank. The State Bank of India (SBI) Machavaram branch, where the notes were being deposited, was also asked not to mix up the seized or deposited currency notes with others till further orders.

The SIT had recently seized ₹11 crore from a farmhouse at Kacharam village in Shamshabad of Rangareddy district in Telangana, alleging that the money was stashed there secretly by the main accused in the case, Kasireddy Rajasekhar Reddy, prior to June 2024.

In a petition before the court, Rajasekhar Reddy expressed suspicion that the police had planted the currency notes, which were printed subsequent to June 2024, and requested the court to get the serial numbers of the currency notes noted by the SIT.

The petitioner also sought appointing an Advocate Commissioner to record the serial numbers of the currency notes, videograph the process and produce the recording before the court. According to the petition, SIT Additional Superintendent of Police P. Srihari Babu appeared before the court and stated that the agency had already deposited the cash at SBI Machavaram Branch on August 1 itself.

The petitioner maintained that the SIT had not deposited the cash in the bank and suspected foul play. The petitioner alleged that the SIT had been making hectic efforts to replace the currency notes to “alter, tamper, and screen the evidence”.

“If such attempt is allowed, the petitioner will be put to great injustice and hardship,” the petition said and prayed the court to direct the SIT to direct the SBI to keep the currency notes without mixing them with others in the bank.