HYDERABAD: After conducting simultaneous raids across the state on Friday, about 20 persons including six excise officials and members of liquor syndicates were taken into custody by the Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Guntur, Ongole, Nellore and Warangal districts Saturday. Though ACB officials did not reveal a full picture of the arrests, they presented a few accused before the ACB court at Visakhapatnam and sent them to judicial remand.
In Visakhapatnam, about 11 persons were taken into custody including assistant commissioner of excise A Hanumantha Rao, excise circle inspectors Kameswara Rao (Gajuwaka Task Force) and K Ramakrishna (Srikakulam), head constable Appanna of Srikakulam, liquor businessmen Ganesh, Puskara Prasad and O Eswara Rao. They were presented before the ACB court along with AP Beverages Corporation Limited godown incharge Hanumantha Rao, who was held in Guntur.
Liquor businessmen staged a dharna in front of ACB office protesting the arrest.
Warangal excise CI Karan Singh and liquor traders Chandur, Thota Sudhakar, Ch Santhosh Reddy, Mohan reddy along with their employees Vidyasagar, Rajesh and Someswar Aravind were arrested in Warangal. Accounts books, data of payoff given to police and mediapersons were seized.
Confirming the arrests, ACB DSP Vittaleswar said the excise officer received huge bribes from liquor traders.
Kovvur excise SI Vijay Kumar, liquor shop owners Srinivasulu Reddy and Narasimha Rao along with an employee Venkata Rao were taken into custody in Nellore. At Prakasam, Singarayakonda excise CI Guravaiah and liquor businesmen Venkata Rao were arrested while in Guntur, liquor traders Subbareddy, Nallaboth Srinu and V Subbareddy were taken into custody.
However, ACB officials are yet to confirm these arrests.