YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) general secretary Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy has been arrested by Andhra Pradesh Police in connection with the multi-crore liquor scam. Acting on a lookout notice, immigration officials at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, intercepted Bhaskar Reddy on Tuesday night while he was allegedly attempting to flee the country.
Following the alert, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the scam arrested Bhaskar Reddy and his aide Venkatesh Naidu in the early hours of Wednesday. They are being brought to Vijayawada for production before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court.
A former MLA from Chandragiri, Bhaskar Reddy has been named the 38th accused in the case. The SIT has so far arrested 39 individuals linked to the scam, and six more names, including Bhaskar Reddy’s, were recently added to the chargesheet.
Bhaskar Reddy has denied any involvement, claiming political vendetta and accusing SIT officials of coercion. He further alleged that N. Madan Reddy, a head constable and his former gunman of 10 years, was physically assaulted by SIT to extract a false confession.
Madan Reddy has reportedly lodged complaints with CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and the DGP, alleging torture by SIT officials. His claims were backed by Bhaskar Reddy’s son, Chevireddy Mohith Reddy, who accused the TDP-led government of falsely implicating his father and using police force to fabricate evidence.
Mohith Reddy revealed that both Madan Reddy and another former gunman, Giri, were summoned and beaten for refusing to give false testimony, resulting in Madan’s hospitalisation. A petition seeking protection has been filed in the High Court, adding another layer of controversy to the politically sensitive case.
Read also: