VIJAYAWADA: The State government is prioritising the liquor scam investigation, and sources indicate that inquiries into other alleged scams from the previous regime will be taken up only after unravelling the bigwigs in this case.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing irregularities during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure, is actively collecting evidence and arresting key accused involved in the multi-crore liquor scam.
Though several alleged scams occurred between 2019 and 2024, the coalition government is currently focused on the liquor case, citing its widespread health impact and massive financial losses. A senior TDP leader said, “Scams occurred in many departments under the previous regime, but the liquor scam not only involved the looting of thousands of crores of rupees, it also caused numerous deaths and severely impacted public health. That’s why we’re treating this as a top priority.”
He added that the SIT has been given a free hand in the investigation, with no deadline imposed to ensure a thorough probe.
SIT officials, led by NTR District Commissioner of Police SV Rajashekhar Babu, are now focused on tracing the money trail, from distilleries to end beneficiaries, including evidence of fund diversion, use of money in elections, storage of cash in hidden locations, and shell companies floated by the accused.
It may be recalled that the SIT has recently seized Rs 11 crore from a farmhouse in Shamshabad. In its aftermath, the SIT has intensified efforts to identify additional locations where illicit funds might be stored and to gather corroborative financial evidence.