The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, September 18, carried out extensive raids in Telangana and several other states in connection with the alleged ₹3,500-crore Andhra Pradesh liquor scam. The searches were conducted at 20 locations across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the Delhi NCR region. According to officials, the focus was on premises of individuals accused of facilitating illegal kickback payments using inflated and bogus invoices. The ED’s Hyderabad unit spearheaded the operation, intensifying its probe into one of the biggest corruption cases linked to the liquor trade in the state.
The raids come shortly after three key accused in the case—Dhanunjaya Reddy, Krishna Mohan Reddy, and Balaji Govindappa—were granted bail by a local court on September 7. These individuals had been arrested earlier this year by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Andhra Pradesh police, formed to investigate the scam during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure. While Dhanunjaya and Krishna Mohan were apprehended on May 16, Govindappa was picked up from Mysuru on May 13. Their release, however, sparked fresh political controversy after YSRCP leader and former minister Ambati Rambabu alleged that the jail authorities intentionally delayed their release under instructions from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
Family members of the accused claimed that despite a court order, the release was held up for several hours, with relatives waiting anxiously outside the prison. One family member reportedly collapsed from stress during the ordeal. Govindappa himself later accused the authorities of showing “no respect” for the court’s decision, asserting that the delay was deliberate. The latest ED raids signal that the investigation into the liquor scam is far from over, and more disclosures could follow as investigators track financial flows and alleged political involvement. With the case already stirring political blame games, the outcome of the ED’s probe will be closely watched in Andhra Pradesh and beyond.
