Speculations are rife that the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh headed by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is preparing the ground for the arret of YSR Congress party president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the alleged liquor scam of his regime.
The cabinet meeting chaired by Naidu at the state secretariat on Tuesday reportedly discussed the developments in the ongoing investigation into the liquor scam.
Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta reportedly gave a detailed presentation of the developments in the case.
According to sources, the DGP is understood to have told the cabinet that all angles in the investigation, based on the interrogation of the arrested, were pointing towards the Tadepalli palace and there are definite clues with regard to the money trail leading to Jagan.
Naidu, however, told the officials to proceed in the direction of questioning Jagan or arresting him, only if they have concrete evidence.
He said independent state and central agencies are currently conducting a transparent investigation into the liquor scam and the rule of law is being given the highest regard under NDA government.
He also asked his cabinet colleagues not to make any hasty comments on the case or the role of Jagan in the scam. He told them to give similar directions to the party leaders and MLAs.
Sources said Naidu, who will be in New Delhi for three days from May 22 to 24, would discuss the issue with the top Bharatiya Janata Party leadership and also the home ministry authorities, before taking any decision on Jagan’s arrest.
“Naidu feels it appropriate to take the consent of the Central leadership before taking any such step. He is aware that the top BJP leadership still has a soft corner towards Jagan and without they giving the green signal, he cannot proceed,” sources said.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is aggressively pursuing the case, and has already filed charge sheets. Notably, Jagan's name does not appear among the accused listed in the SIT's charge sheet. However, legal experts point out that the absence of a name in the charge sheet does not automatically exempt someone from arrest if sufficient evidence surfaces later.
Investigators are reportedly focusing on financial transactions and tracing the end beneficiaries of the alleged scam. Statements and documents pertaining to cash flows have become key pieces of evidence.
Leaders from the current ruling coalition argue that if solid evidence emerges linking Jagan to the scam, his arrest would be inevitable.
According to sources, Jagan is prepared for such an eventuality. He reportedly told the party leaders that even if authorities manage to arrest him, they won’t be able to hold him for more than three months.
“I shall bounce back and take revenge on these people,” he said.
