The Anti-Corruption Bureau that has been probing into the activities of liquor syndicates across the State, has arrested four more persons on Monday, taking the total number thus far, to 108 and the number of cases to 52.
It identified the four persons as Guduri Hanumanthu Rao of Palacole in West Godavari district, Dontala Butchi Babu, Manager of the Vizianagaram syndicate, Gurram Ajay Goud of Hyderabad and Loka Santosh Reddy of Bodhan, Nizamabad. All four were sent to judicial remand.
The ACB, that took up the probe on the A.P. High Court's direction, has found ‘benami' transactions and white ration cardholders getting liquor shop licences, irregularities in allocation and auction of shops, apart from payment of ‘mamools' to officials of the excise and police departments and sale of liquor at prices far in excess of the maximum retail price prescribed.
When contacted, ACB Director-General B. Prasada Rao said the investigation was going on in the right direction and that they were focusing energies on booking cases and arresting people as and when evidence was emerging.
The evidence was being put together meticulously, he said.
Status report filed
Meanwhile, the ACB filed in the High Court its second status report on the progress of the investigation. The report was submitted in a sealed cover to the Court Registry.
