In a massive setback for YSR Congress Party president Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Andhra Pradesh Police has filed a chargesheet in the Rs 3,500 crore alleged liquor scam and has mentioned the former chief minister as one of the recipients of the kickbacks. The chargesheet, however, did not name him as an accused.
What did the chargesheet say?
The 305-page chargesheet has claimed that Kesireddy Rajasekhar Reddy is the "mastermind and co-conspirator" in the Andhra liquor scam. The chargesheet further Rajasekhar Reddy had event influenced excise policy manipulation besides being instrumental in replacing automated OFS (order for supply) with manual process; to have planted loyalists in APSBCL (Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited).
"The collected amounts were eventually handed over to Kesireddy Rajasekhar Reddy(A-1)," the chargesheet mentioned. "Rajasekhar Reddy would then pass the money to Vijay Sai Reddy (A-5), Mithun Reddy (A-4), Balaji (A-33) who would transfer it to former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. On an average, Rs 50-60 crore was collected every month (during the 2019-24 YSRCP regime)."
Rajasekhar Reddy routed as much as Rs 250-Rs 300 crore cash for elections on behalf of YSRCP Party in tandem with accused Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy (former MLA) and was also responsible for laundering funds through over 30 shell firms. The amount was invested to acquire land, gold, luxury assets in Dubai and Africa, the chargesheet alleged.
The police alleged that the key accused brought out the new liquor policy during the previous YSRCP regime with an underlying intent of having full control over the supply and sale of liquor, thereby to achieve their broader goal of earning commissions/kickbacks between 2019 till 2024.
"The accused planned the change in excise policy and also its modalities, to ensure that they would receive large kickbacks, major portion of such kickbacks was received in cash, gold bullion etc," it claimed.
What did Jagan Mohan Reddy say?
In a long post on 'X', the former Andhra CM called the alleged liquor scam a "manufactured narrative" and a way to divert the public's attention from main issues. He said the entire case is built on "statements extracted under pressure, threats, third-degree torture, and also through bribes and inducements."
Jagan also attacked Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, saying he has stooped to a new low and is finding fault with the policy formulated by the YSR Congress Party government. He also criticised the arrest of YSR Congress Party MP PV Midhun Reddy, calling it an attempt to silence those who stand for the people.
"What is more alarming is that, while falsely accusing YSRCP leaders of a liquor scam, the current TDP-led coalition is reviving the very corrupt liquor practices that the YSRCP government had dismantled. The belt shops and illegal liquor outlets named permit rooms have returned," Jagan said.
"While undoing YSRCP government's successful deeds of shutting down thousands of such belt shops and permit rooms and also reducing the liquor outlets significantly, the present government is now encouraging permit rooms, belt shops, backdoor liquor sales beyond MRP and weakening regulatory enforcement. Corruption and Mafia have crept back into the process of awarding wine shop licenses, and thereby placement of orders to the distilleries, undoing the transparent Government shops system we put in place in 2019."
Further attacking Naidu, Jagan said the TDP chief is misusing the state agencies to settle political score. He even mentioned that Naidu is himself out on bail in several corruption cases, including a liquor scam that happened in his tenure from 2014-19.
"The TDP's real agenda is now clear. They want to use the SIT to arrest YSRCP leaders under the guise of investigation and drag the legal process to keep them in jail indefinitely. But once the actual trial begins, the truth will emerge. This is a baseless, politically motivated case totally devoid of legal merit," Jagan posted.
(With inputs from PTI)
