VIJAYAWADA: In a major development in the alleged liquor scam, two teams of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday conducted raids on offices of shell companies in Mumbai and other locations, seizing key documents and incriminating evidence.
The raids followed the recovery of Rs 11 crore in unaccounted cash from a farmhouse in Telangana on Tuesday night. Investigators believe more illicit money may be hidden in properties linked to the accused or their associates.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has already registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and questioned the prime accused, Kesireddy Rajashekar Reddy alias Raj Kesireddy, has sought details of the farmhouse seizure and ownership.
“Details of the raid have been shared with ED as part of their parallel investigation,” a source confirmed.
Based on information obtained from the arrested accused, SIT teams tracked down multiple offices allegedly set up across India.
Investigators suspect nearly 25 shell companies were floated to divert kickbacks from liquor distilleries, later routed into real estate, film production, and other ventures, including election-related funding. “We are probing the ownership and links of these firms to the accused to gather further evidence,” said a senior official. Meanwhile, the ACB court in Vijayawada has directed SIT officials to deposit the seized `11 crore into the State Bank of India’s Machavaram branch and furnish the account details to the court.