The stage is set for the arrest of YSR Congress Party MP from Rajampet, P V Mithun Reddy, in connection with the alleged liquor scam that took place during the previous Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.
On Friday, the Supreme Court refused to grant anticipatory bail to Mithun Reddy, who has been named Accused No. 4 (A-4) in the case.
A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan questioned the counsel for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on how a chargesheet could be filed without arresting the accused.
The bench also asked Mithun Reddy’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, to explain the grounds for seeking anticipatory bail.
After hearing arguments, the court dismissed Mithun Reddy’s petition and declined to grant him time to surrender.
Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea, prompting him to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
Within minutes of the Supreme Court’s verdict, the SIT filed a petition in a Vijayawada court seeking an arrest warrant against the MP.
As he is a sitting member of Parliament, the SIT has launched searches at locations where he is suspected to be hiding and is moving legally to detain him.
On Wednesday, the SIT issued a Lookout Circular (LoC) to prevent Mithun Reddy from fleeing the country. Anticipating an adverse ruling on his bail plea, he had already gone into hiding.
This marks the second time Mithun Reddy has gone underground since the liquor scam surfaced.
When SIT investigations revealed his involvement, he had moved the High Court for anticipatory bail in March. Since he was not named an accused at that time, the petition was dismissed.
Fearing arrest, he went into hiding and later approached the Supreme Court, which granted him interim protection during the hearing. He resurfaced briefly but has now disappeared again.
The SIT has formed special teams to trace his whereabouts. Once his location is confirmed, he is expected to be arrested immediately.
