The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday witnessed an unusual situation during the hearing of the bail petitions filed by two accused in the ₹3,500-crore liquor scam that allegedly took place during the previous YSR Congress Party government.
Senior YSRCP leader and former Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy; himself an accused in the case and currently in judicial remand; filed a petition seeking dismissal of the anticipatory bail applications submitted by two other accused: former AP Beverages Corporation (APBCL) Managing Director Donthireddy Vasudeva Reddy (A2) and Excise Department Special Officer Dodda Venkata Satyaprasad (A3).
Vasudeva Reddy and Satyaprasad sought anticipatory bail amid reports that they may turn approvers. Chevireddy, however, filed an unexpected impleading petition urging the court to reject their bail pleas.
Senior advocate C Nageswara Rao, appearing for Chevireddy, argued that the two accused were seeking anticipatory bail on the assumption that they would eventually turn approvers—something his client strongly objected to.
Justice Venkata Jyothirmayi remarked that this was the first time the court had come across a situation where a co-accused opposed anticipatory bail for fellow accused by filing such a petition.
She said the court would examine whether filing an impleading petition in these circumstances was legally permissible. The matter was adjourned to December 2.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the SIT, informed the High Court that Accused No. 1 (A1), Kesireddy Rajasekhara Reddy, played a key role in the conspiracy executed during the previous YSRCP administration.
Luthra alleged that kickbacks collected from liquor companies were routed abroad through shell companies, leading to the diversion of public funds amounting to ₹3,200 crore.
He stated that three charge sheets had already been filed and the investigation was still underway.
He argued that there was prima facie evidence establishing the petitioner’s involvement, making him ineligible for bail.
The court adjourned further arguments from the prosecution and rebuttals from the defence to December 2.
