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Andhra HC cancels bail to retd IAS officer in liquor case
Andhra Pradesh HC cancels default bail for three accused in a ₹3,500 crore liquor scam, ordering them to surrender by November 26.
The Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday cancelled the default bail granted to retired IAS officer K Dhanunjay Reddy, former officer-on-special duty in the chief minister’s office P Krishna Mohan Reddy and Bharathi Cements director Balaji Govindappa in the ₹3,500 crore liquor scam that allegedly took place during the previous YSR Congress party regime, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The three accused were granted default bail by a special court for anti-corruption bureau (ACB) cases in Vijayawada on September 6 on the ground that the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case, had failed to file a complete chargesheet within the stipulated time.
Challenging that order, the SIT approached the high court on September 9 seeking the cancellation of bail granted to Dhanunjaya Reddy (Accused-31), Krishnamohan Reddy (A-32), and Bharathi Cements Director Balaji Govindappa (A-33).
After hearing the arguments, a high court bench headed by Justice Venkata Jyothirmayi reserved the orders on September 26 and pronounced the judgment on Wednesday, setting aside the ACB court’s bail order and directed the three accused to surrender before the ACB court on or before November 26.
The judge initially mentioned November 24 as the deadline, but extended it by two more days following a request from senior defence counsel.
While the high court partially allowed the SIT’s petitions, it also clarified that the accused are free to file regular bail applications before the ACB court, which must examine them on merit and pass appropriate orders after due hearing.
