YSRCP leader Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy held in Andhra’s multi-crore liquor scam

Immigration stop leads to SIT detention of ex-Chandragiri MLA; 39th arrest in case sparks claims of police coercion and political vendetta

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested YSR Congress Party general secretary and former Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy in the early hours of Wednesday.

A lookout notice was already in force. Immigration officials at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport stopped Reddy on Tuesday night as he tried to fly overseas. They alerted the SIT, which immediately detained him along with aide Venkatesh Naidu. Both men are being taken to Vijayawada, where they will appear before the ACB court.

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Bhaskar Reddy is the 38th accused in the alleged liquor-procurement scam, which investigators say siphoned off crores of rupees during the previous YSRCP government. With his arrest, the SIT’s tally has risen to 39 people behind bars. The probe team officially added six new names including Bhaskar Reddy’s to its charge sheet on Tuesday.

 The YSRCP leader insists he played no part in the scheme. He alleges SIT officers assaulted his long-time gunman, Head Constable N. Madan Reddy, to force a false confession.

Madan Reddy has complained to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the state DGP, claiming the SIT used violence to obtain statements.
Bhaskar Reddy’s son, YSRCP youth leader Chevireddy Mohith Reddy, calls the entire investigation a political witch-hunt by the new TDP-led coalition. He says both Madan Reddy and another former gunman, Giri, were beaten for refusing to implicate his father; Madan Reddy is now hospitalised and has petitioned the High Court for protection.

The SIT has yet to respond publicly to the allegations of custodial violence.