The spurious liquor case in Andhra Pradesh has taken another dramatic twist, with YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Jogi Ramesh moving the state high court challenging his arrest by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The SIT, constituted by the state government to probe the illegal liquor manufacturing and distribution racket, arrested Ramesh based on the video confession of accused Janardhan Rao, who allegedly had close ties with him.
In his petition before the high court, Ramesh contended that the SIT’s reliance on the video statement was unlawful and politically motivated, and requested that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fair inquiry.
Responding to the plea, the high Court issued notices to chief secretary K S Vijayanand, home secretary, and the Director General of Police, directing them to file their responses on why the CBI probe should not be ordered into the case.
Senior advocate Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, appearing for Jogi Ramesh, argued that the state government was misusing the SIT investigation to target opposition leaders.
He told the court that Ramesh’s name did not figure anywhere in the case records prior to Janardhan Rao’s arrest, but was later added to the list of accused under political pressure.
He alleged a deliberate conspiracy to frame the former minister through a fabricated video.
On behalf of the government, Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas argued that the petitioner, being an accused, has no right to choose the investigating agency, citing prior judgments.
Countering this, Sudhakar Reddy maintained that when an investigation is biased or politically influenced, citizens have every right to seek CBI intervention to ensure impartiality.
The high court, after hearing both sides, issued notices to the state government and sought its response, signalling that the case will be closely monitored in the coming days.
