Andhra Pradesh liquor scam | HC notice to Chief Minister, others

Hyderabad: Trouble seems to be brewing for the Kiran Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh over the liquor scam. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has sent notices to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Reddy, state Congress chief B Satyanarayana, Excise Minister M Venkatramana and leader of Opposition Chandrababu Naidu.

The notice comes after a PIL was filed seeking a court-monitored probe into the scam.
The case will come up for hearing on April 16.

Sources had accessed documents that exposed the full extent of the AP liquor scam and revealed the complicity of the political class.

Reportedly, not only have excise and police officials taken bribes to allow the illegal liquor business to flourish, they also loaned money to the tune of Rs 2 crore to the mafia to carry on the trade.

The documents reveal that in Srikakulam district, between September 2010-December 2011, excise officials received bribes worth more than Rs 3.58 crore. The officials, then, re-invested Rs 2.44 crore back in the illegal liquor trade, as "loan" to wine shop owners.

Posted in: Crime