Hyderabad:
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Hyderabad has issued notices to three MLAs, Kavita, Venkata Veeraiah and Krishna Babu, in the liquor syndicate case, asking them to appear before the investigating authority on 18, 19 and 20 June. Sources say, notices are also likely to be issued to Former Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkatramana who is in jail in the Jagan Mohan Reddy disproportionate assets case and to the son of Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmanna Prasad Rao.
Earlier this week, the ACB had arrested 20 people after raids across the state for irregularities in owning liquor outlets. They registered 22 cases relating to fraud committed in auction of liquor shops in various districts. More than one hundred cases have been registered since the crackdown began in the last quarter of 2011.
A review of the case comes up before the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday.
The investigation of these cases has reportedly revealed that some liquor syndicates have used the names of poor persons who hold white ration cards, issued to below poverty line families, and obtained licences of A4 wine shops by subverting the legal process and running the liquor trade in collusion with officials.
During its investigations, ACB officials have found that the licencees had no financial resources to deposit huge amounts running into several lakhs or even crores of rupees as licence fee and deposit.
The ACB crackdown on the liquor network across the state began towards the end of last year and ran into trouble with some prominent political names being linked to irregularities in issue of licences during auctions, distribution and sale of liquor, reportedly causing crores of rupees in loss to the exchequer.
With the arrest in February of Nunna Venkata Ramana, who ran 29 wine shops and reportedly had influence over 80 wine shops in Khammam and Warangal, the investigation came into sharp public focus with his naming of excise minister Mopidevi Venkatramana, who has since resigned after his arrest in the disproportionate assets case against Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Andhra Pradesh PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana was reportedly angered by action against his business links in the liquor world and that is said to have led to the controversial transfer of IPS officer Srinivas Reddy who was heading the probe.
The crackdown and raids on liquor outlets, excise officials and others over the last few months has put the focus on several ministers and MLAs, both in the ruling party and outside, who are said to be linked to the liquor syndicate in the state.