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In connection with the alleged ₹3,500-crore liquor scam, a chargesheet filed by the Andhra Pradesh police in a local court claims that kickbacks were systematically laundered through low-profile individuals. According to officials quoting the chargesheet, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has alleged that the accused used individuals, such as office boys and employees, to launder the money.

 

These employees and individuals allegedly acted as 'couriers and mules' by depositing illicit cash into a network of bank accounts linked to the syndicate. The chargesheet describes this pattern of cash layering and circulation as a deliberate attempt to conceal the origin of criminal proceeds, characterising it as a "classic case of structured money laundering and concealment under the garb of petty deposits."

 

The chargesheet alleges former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy chaired a meeting held in July 2019 related to the new liquor policy under which the outlets would be run by the APSBCL, a government entity.

 

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged liquor scam filed a 124-page supplementary chargesheet. The previous chargesheet filed last month mentioned former chief minister Reddy as one of the recipients of kickbacks averaging ₹50-60 crore per month. The 305-page chargesheet, however, stopped short of naming Jagan as accused.

 

When contacted, former minister and senior YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu dismissed the allegations in the chargesheet as baseless and "created."

 

The document further alleges that a portion of the kickbacks was transferred to the employees and associates of the accused as salary. The investigation revealed that many of these low-profile individuals were then made to transfer the cash from their accounts to other accused persons.

 

Also read: Andhra climbs to second place in National justice delivery rankings 

 

The SIT has arrested several people in the case, including YSRCP Lok Sabha member PV Midhun Reddy. In May, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also initiated an investigation by filing a money laundering case. The ED's Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was filed under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the alleged irregularities in liquor sales in the state.