A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore liquor scam in Andhra Pradesh has uncovered that part of the scam money, estimated at over ₹3,500 crore, was allegedly diverted to fund election expenses for YSRCP candidates in the districts of Prakasam, Nellore, and Chittoor.
The report identifies the key involvement of YSRCP leader Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy in distributing the illicit funds to party candidates. Notably, former Kavali MLA Ramireddy Prathap Kumar Reddy is said to have received funds from the scam. The SIT found that several sitting MLAs, their assistants, and local-level party leaders received money during the last elections.
According to the findings, approximately ₹200–300 crore from the scam proceeds were funnelled specifically into election campaigning in the three districts. Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy is reported to have overseen the operation, using close associates, including Balaji Yadav, Naveen Krishna, and security aide Dubbaka Giribabu, to move and deliver the cash from Hyderabad and Tadepalli.
Phone records and surveillance data reveal that Balaji Yadav received multiple calls from Prathap Kumar Reddy on March 11, 2024. Within a day, cash was delivered to his PA in Kavali. The SIT further alleges that grassroots leaders were each paid up to ₹10 lakh, with ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore going to local influential figures in various mandals to mobilise votes. The money trails link to multiple dens, including apartments in Hyderabad’s Khajaguda and Prashasan Nagar, where crores were reportedly stored before distribution.
Additional suspects like Saif Ahmad and Behrun Sajeel Shaikh are believed to have stored and transferred significant amounts of cash. In another instance, K Avinash Reddy reportedly transported ₹3 crore from Hyderabad to Tadepalli for election use.
The SIT’s preliminary charge sheet includes technical and digital evidence supporting these claims, highlighting a well-organised operation to misuse scam proceeds for political gain during elections.
