The sensational liquor scam case in Andhra Pradesh has taken a serious turn as YSR Congress Party leader and former Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy has been remanded to judicial custody. Seen as a close aide of YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chevireddy was sent to remand by the ACB Special Court in Vijayawada late Wednesday night. He will remain in custody along with his associate Venkatesh Naidu until July 1.
According to reports, Chevireddy and his childhood friend Venkatesh Naidu allegedly attempted to leave the country quietly via Bengaluru International Airport, with plans to travel to Sri Lanka. However, their exit plan was foiled after immigration officials — acting on an existing lookout notice — detained Chevireddy and alerted the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The officials held both men at the airport until SIT authorities arrived and formally took them into custody.
Following their arrest, the duo was brought to Vijayawada, where they were questioned for several hours on Wednesday. Later in the day, they were produced before the ACB Court. In a surprising move, Chevireddy, who is a practicing lawyer, chose to argue his case personally. He challenged the legality of issuing lookout notices in the absence of a registered FIR and claimed that the remand report included false statements not made by him. He further alleged that answers he gave during interrogation were manipulated by SIT officials to support their case.
On the other hand, the SIT strongly opposed Chevireddy’s arguments, stating that his secret attempt to flee the country indicated a clear intent to evade arrest. They also levelled serious allegations, claiming Chevireddy was involved in financial irregularities in the liquor trade, amounting to nearly ₹200–₹250 crore, which were allegedly funneled into election spending.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court sided with the SIT and ordered judicial custody for both Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Venkatesh Naidu until July 1.
