₹11 crore cash, liquor seized near Hyderabad in Andhra liquor scam probe

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged ₹3,500-crore liquor scam in Andhra Pradesh has seized ₹11 crore in cash and boxes of liquor bottles from a farmhouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad, intensifying the heat on former officials linked to the previous YSRCP-led government.

The late-night raid at the Shamshabad farmhouse, near Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, followed disclosures by Varun Purshottam — a key aide of prime accused Kesireddy Rajashekar Reddy, the former IT advisor to then Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Investigators said the cash was found stashed in 12 cartons designed for alcohol bottles. The seizure is being seen as direct evidence of bribes allegedly collected through a liquor policy crafted to benefit a clutch of companies in return for massive monthly kickbacks.

According to sources, the SIT believes that between June 2019 and May 2024, bribes worth ₹50 to ₹60 crore were collected every month, with large portions of the illicit funds received in cash, gold, and other high-value assets.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is leading the probe, filed a charge sheet in the case on July 20, days after the arrest of senior YSRCP leader and three-time MP PV Midhun Reddy. The charge sheet reportedly refers to former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy as a beneficiary of the liquor kickbacks, though he is not formally named as an accused.

The alleged scam centers around a new liquor policy introduced under the YSRCP government, which, according to investigators, was designed to centralize control over liquor supply and retail while covertly channeling profits into private hands through political intermediaries.

In response to the mounting allegations, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has dismissed the entire probe as a “political conspiracy” aimed at targeting its leadership and “silencing voices that stand with the people.”

The SIT is expected to summon more individuals for questioning in the coming days as it traces the money trail and investigates whether kickbacks were routed through benami holdings, shell companies, or overseas transactions.