HYDERABAD: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday raided a farmhouse in Shamshabad and seized ₹11 crore in cash, linked to the AP liquor scam. According to officials, the SIT made the seizure following a confession from Varun Purshottam, listed as Accused No. 40 in the scam. He claimed that ₹11 crore in cash was stored at a godown adjacent to the Sulochana farmhouse in Kacharam, Shamshabad. The cash was concealed in 12 cardboxes, disguised as office files. The AP police reached Shamshabad and seized the cash. The cash is believed to have been transferred to Hyderabad in 2024, and accused Varun and A13 Chanakya reportedly confessed to hiding the cash in Shamshabad on the orders of A1 Kasireddy Rajasekhar Reddy. The AP SIT is continuing its investigation. Recently, a chargesheet filed in connection with the ₹3,500 crore liquor scam mentioned former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as one of the recipients of kickbacks averaging ₹50-60 crore per month. The Andhra Pradesh police registered a case related to the scam, claiming it took place between June 2019 and May 2024. The police allege that bribes of ₹50-60 crore were generated through a liquor policy designed to benefit certain companies. The accused reportedly created an illicit network by replacing automated systems, such as the OFS order for supply, with manual processes in the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL). They also planted loyal officers to oversee liquor operations, channeling kickbacks from liquor suppliers through over 30 shell companies, converting them into assets or political funds.
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