If the suspicions of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Andhra Pradesh police probing the liquor scam that took place during the previous YSR Congress party government are true, retired IAS officer K Dhanunjay Reddy has fled the country a few days ago.
Along with Dhanunjay Reddy, who was the secretary to former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, two other accused – Jagan’s officer on special duty P Krishna Mohan Reddy and Bharati Cements full-time director Govindappa Balaji also have left the country to a safer location abroad.
All the three key accused in the liquor scam failed to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for questioning.
Two days ago, officials issued notices to their family members directing the three accused to attend questioning at 10 AM on Sunday at the SIT office under the Vijayawada Commissionerate. Ignoring the notices, all three accused remained absent.
With the high court and Supreme Court already dismissing their petitions seeking anticipatory bail in the case, the SIT police issued them notices for questioning before making any attempt to arrest them.
The police emphasized that custody interrogation is necessary to uncover the conspiracy angle behind the liquor scam. Even the Supreme Court declined to grant them interim protection from arrest.
Dhanunjay Reddy, Krishna Mohan Reddy and Govindappa Balaji have been evading investigation for the past 17 days. SIT teams are actively searching for them in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh.
The SIT authorities made ann attempt to prevent them from fleeing abroad by issuing lookout circulars (LOCs) against them.
“But even before the notices were issued, they seem to have fled the country,” sources said.
The SIT authorities are conducting raids at all suspected hideouts. Surveillance operations are underway in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and other locations.
On Sunday, SIT officials also served fresh notices to the families and relatives of the accused, seeking any information on their whereabouts.
