VIJAYAWADA: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Eluru range IG GVG Ashok Kumar, Excise and Prohibition department director Rahul Dev Sharma, and other Excise department officials started investigating the sensational spurious liquor case. Based on sources, the Excise Department and Annamayya police busted a major illicit liquor manufacturing racket in Mulakalacheruvu on October 4.
During an investigation, it was revealed that the prime accused Addepalli Janardhan Rao, his brother Addepalli Jagan Mohan Rao, and others formed a gang and started manufacturing spurious liquor, selling it in their own bars and wine shops in the district and in the NTR district. Excise department officials carried out raids in the godown managed by ANR Bar and restaurant owner Addepalli Janardhan Rao in Ibrahimpatnam and arrested his brother Jagan Mohan Rao. Two days later, excise officials arrested Janardhan Rao from Gannavaram airport and sent him to judicial remand.
According to sources, forensic and cyber experts are obtaining details of Janardhan Rao’s lost phone and other evidence from the mobile phones of other accused arrested earlier. A senior official said, “The key accused, with an intention to destroy evidence, missed his mobile phone and came empty-handed to India from South Africa. However, we are collecting evidence from others and will corroborate it further.”
The Excise Department sought a 10-day custody of Addepalli Janardhan Rao and Addepalli Jagan Mohan Rao, with the court scheduling a hearing on Thursday. Meanwhile, Jogi Ramesh filed a complaint with NTR Commissioner of Police SV Rajashekhar Babu, requesting a probe into the alleged WhatsApp screenshots linking him to the case and action against those behind the false propaganda.
