Branded liquor back in Andhra Pradesh, CID books case against beverages corporation’s former MD

AMARAVATI: After a gap of five years Kingfisher beer, a popular brand in the country, was brought in containers and stored in godowns because the sale of branded liquor will start soon across the state.

There is a possibility of reviewing the liquor policy in the state after Chandrababu takes charge. As soon as Jagan came to power, private liquor shops were abolished and the government set up its liquor shops. Branded liquor was stopped and locally unrecognised liquor was sold through government shops.

The TDP alleged a big scam and accused the Chief Minister and Cabinet Ministers of becoming a liquor mafia.

After the NDA won elections in AP, the Crime Investigation Bureau (CID) sleuths conducted searches at the office premises of former MD of AP Beverages Corporation (APSBCL) Vasudeva Reddy, who is accused of playing a key role in the liquor scam.

The CID registered a case based on a complaint by Gadde Sivakrishna, a resident of Kanchikacherla, that he saw Vasudeva Reddy transporting files, computer equipment, and other documents from the APSBCL headquarters in a car on June 6. A case was registered under Sections 427 and 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

Friday morning, CID teams from Vijayawada went to the residence of Vasudeva Reddy in Hyderabad and conducted searches throughout the day. It is alleged that during the YCP regime, Government officials, YCP leaders, and their close associates monopolised the manufacture, purchase, supply, and sale of liquor and looted it on a large scale.

The CID also found that Vasudeva Reddy tried to destroy crucial evidence, documents, and hard disks related to the loot and scam at a time when there was a change of power in the state.