AP liquor scam: 3 accused get bail, pleas of 2 rejected

Vijayawada: The high court on Thursday granted bail to three accused in the alleged liquor scam case while rejecting it for two. While Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Sajjala Sridhar Reddy, and Venkatesh Naidu were granted bail, the court rejected the bail plea of Raj Kasireddy and anticipatory bail for Muppidi Avinash Reddy.Rejecting Raj Kasireddy's bail, the HC observed that prima facie evidence was available against him over alleged diversion of Rs 135 crore through hawala channels. Justice Venkata Jythirmayee Prathapa noted that a perusal of WhatsApp chat history, call data records, and FSL reports suggested that he played a key role in the alleged illegal transactions. The court further noted that he tried to flee the country earlier, and there was every likelihood he may help another key accused, Muppidi Avinash Reddy, who is on the run. The high court said Bhaskar Reddy, Sridhar Reddy, and Venkatesh Naidu have been in jail for a long time and, as the investigation was almost completed with regard to their roles in the alleged scam, keeping them in remand any longer would punish them before trial. The court directed them to submit two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each and surrender their passports before the trial court. They were told not to leave the state without intimating the investigating officer. They were also asked to submit an affidavit stating their movable and immovable assets, bank and DMAT account details, and details about their business interests to the trial court within two weeks after release on bail.