Retired Bureaucrat Among 3 Key Accused In Andhra Liquor Case Granted Bail

The Anti-Corruption Bureau court on Saturday granted bail to three key accused: K Dhanunjay Reddy, Balaji Govindappa, and P Krishna Mohan Reddy, accused in the Andhra Pradesh liquor case.

The three accused, who had been in judicial custody since their arrests in May, had sought bail from the ACB court. Dhanunjay Reddy, a retired IAS officer, and Krishna Mohan Reddy, a retired official, were arrested on May 17. Balaji Govindappa, a director at Bharathi Cements, was taken into custody a few days earlier, on May 14.

The arrests were made by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Andhra Pradesh police, which is probing the alleged liquor scam that reportedly took place during the previous state government's tenure. The accused were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The bail applications of the three accused were initially rejected by the High Court and also by the Supreme Court. However, with the investigation progressing and the accused having been in judicial remand for an extended period, the ACB court has now granted them bail on conditions that include surrendering their passports and furnishing two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each.

In a separate but related development, YSRCP MP PV Mithun Reddy, also an accused in the case, has been granted interim bail. The ACB court in Vijayawada granted him bail for six days to allow him to cast his vote in the upcoming Vice-Presidential election. The court has directed the MP to surrender before the court again on September 11. Mithun Reddy, who has been named as accused number four in the case, was earlier denied bail by the Supreme Court. He had been lodged in Rajahmundry Central Jail since his arrest.