AP Liquor Scam: CID Registers Case Over Rs 400 Crore Loss

In a major development in the alleged liquor transport scam during the previous YSRCP regime, the Andhra Pradesh CID has registered a case over irregularities in liquor supply orders and transportation contracts that reportedly caused a loss of Rs 200 to 400 crore to the state exchequer between 2020 and 2024. Investigations by Vigilance and Enforcement revealed that the liquor transport contracts from APSBCL depots to government outlets were centralized and manipulated to benefit select entities. The contract was allegedly awarded to Sigma Logistics at an inflated rate of Rs 34 per case, compared to the earlier Rs 13 per case, leading to massive financial gains for the accused. The government has handed over the probe to a Special Investigation Team headed by Vijayawada Police Commissioner S. V. Rajasekhar Babu.

In a related development, the SIT has initiated steps to attach properties allegedly purchased using funds siphoned off in the liquor scam. It has identified assets linked to Rashmita Behera, Irshad Ahmed, and Mubarak Ali in Hyderabad and Odisha. The Home Department has granted permission to the SIT to file a petition in the Vijayawada ACB Court for the seizure of these properties. Authorities believe further investigation may reveal the involvement of additional accused individuals named in the FIR.