The noose is tightening around a few influential people of Krishna district in the ongoing liquor syndicate scam.
Sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), who are probing into liquor scam, the running of shops on benami names, white cardholders owning shops and other irregularities in the district, have already arrested some syndicate organisers in the district.
Recently, the ACB police, who verified the records at the IML depots in Vijayawada and Gudivada, identified as many as 40 syndicate leaders in the district. TDP urban president Vallabaneni Vamsi Mohan, Telugu Rythu president Chalasani Anjaneyulu, Devineni Baji Prasad (brother of Devineni Rajasekhar), and other influential persons were listed as ‘syndicate leaders' by the ACB.
According to sources, the Indian Made Liquor (IML) depot of A.P. Beverages Corporation Limited, Gudivada, is supplying liquor to 154 shops and 28 bars. During investigation it was revealed that 23 ‘syndicate leaders' were running more than one liquor shop in Gudivada area, and have been lifting stocks through some unauthorised persons since June, 2010.
Similarly, the Vijayawada IML depot is supplying liquor to 181 shops and 140 bars under 12 Excise Police Station limits -- Vijayawada East and West, Patamata, Bhavanipuram, Mylavaram, Nandigama, Kanchikacherla, Jaggaiahpeta, Tiruvuru, Vissannapeta, Vuyyuru, and part of Gannavaram.
The ACB officials found that some persons got allotted the liquor shops on benami names and formed syndicates. They owned more than one shop, not following the norms and were lifting the stocks from the IML depots violating the rules.
The investigating officers reported that 138 liquor shops were owned by white ration card holders out of 335 shops in the district.
