Raj Kesi Reddy, the alleged mastermind behind the high-profile government impersonation liquor scam, was remanded to 15 days of judicial custody on Tuesday night by the ACB Special Court in Vijayawada. The case, which revolves around a massive bribe collection racket, involves Reddy falsely influencing government liquor policies to collect bribes from liquor companies.
Although Kesi Reddy was formally an IT consultant, he is accused of impersonating influential government figures and acting as the de facto decision-maker within the Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation (APBC). The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which arrested him, presented him before ACB Court Judge Bhaskar Rao after conducting a medical examination.
The SIT presented evidence suggesting that Reddy had orchestrated a bribery scheme where liquor companies were forced to pay monthly bribes between Rs50 crore and Rs60 crore. Over five years, this amounted to approximately Rs3,250 crore in bribes. Former Special Officer Satya Prasad and Beverages Corporation MD Vasudeva Reddy both stated that Kesi Reddy wielded de facto control over the corporation’s operations despite not holding an official position.
Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, representing Kesi Reddy, argued that the Prevention of Corruption Act did not apply, as Reddy was not a government employee. The court, however, remanded him to judicial custody until May 6. The case is ongoing, with 29 accused in total under investigation.
