As part of the investigation into the liquor scam case that took place during the YSRCP regime, the AP SIT team conducted searches at the homes of YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Searches were conducted at Mithun Reddy’s residences in Prashasan Nagar in Hyderabad Film Nagar and Gayatri Hills in Yusufguda, also at his office in Kondapur.
The SIT officials conducted searches at Mithun Reddy’s residence and office in Tirupati for about 3 hours. Already the SIT has revealed that Mithun Reddy was the main architect of the liquor scam conspiracy and the main implementer of the liquor mafia conspiracies. The remand report submitted to the ACB court stated that he was the one who directly received the bribe money.
The bribes were reportedly collected by Kasireddy Rajasekhar Reddy (A1) and passed on to the then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy through MP Mithun Reddy, Vijayasai Reddy and Balaji Govindappa. It was also alleged that Mithun Reddy played a key role in money laundering and extortion. According to SIT, he was involved in collecting up to Rs. 50-60 crores per month.
The liquor policy was said to be designed to enable the sale of only the brands for which bribes were received. After analyzing the testimony of witnesses, financial transactions, evidence and emails, SIT felt that he played a conspiratorial role and acted as a ‘defacto controller’ in the case of APSBCL, even though he had no authority.
It said that he gave large orders to the private distilleries that took bribes, causing huge losses to the government exchequer. It explained that Mithun Reddy was a key figure in the criminal strategy for the sale of goods of companies that were bribed by disrupting the transparent liquor sales policy. It stated that the bribes were diverted through various shell companies, benami and politically connected businesses.
It said that although he did not hold any post in the Excise Department and APSBCL, it was found that he directly and indirectly influenced the formulation of liquor policy. It stated that he had a role in appointing Satya Prasad (A3), who had little experience in excise matters, as a special officer of APSBCL.
It said that he was asked to work for the liquor syndicate with the promise of promotion as a confirmed IAS. It said that on the orders of Mithun Reddy, members of the liquor syndicate Raj Kasireddy, his brother-in-law Avinash Reddy and others met at Vijayasai Reddy’s house. It had previously explained that it had started collecting 12 percent of the basic price of liquor in the form of a tip and increased it to 20 percent
