Raj Kasireddy, who was a key mastermind in the liquor scam during the YSRCP regime, has also allegedly acted like the kingpin of a gang of sand syndicates by convincing the party’s top leader that he would give him a larger share. During the last 15 months of the previous government, he has reportedly managed to collect Rs. 180 crore per month from the illegal sand mining.
The son of a minister at the time supported this racket. Raj Kasireddy was a key mastermind in the racket of forming a sand syndicate for each district during the YSRCP government and collecting crores of rupees from them. While there was only one monopoly company doing sand business in the entire state, he drove it out and took over the business with the blessings of YSRCP elders.
He fixed the rate for each district and opened the door to exploitation by allowing those who paid it to dig and sell as much as they wanted. In the previous government, the entire state’s sand business was initially tied up with Jaiprakash Power Ventures. Turnkey Enterprises entered the scene as a sub-contractor and started sand mining and sales from May 2021.
It used to divert money in crores every month by taking only cash, printing bills without online bills and making false calculations. The then chief minister was allegedly given a share in this. Turnkey, who was the sub-contractor, was sent to his place. Raj Kasireddy had a sand syndicate formed for each combined district.
These syndicates were handed over to key YSRCP leaders, their relatives, followers and some sand traders. Based on the sand reaches, the rates for the district were finalized from Rs. 10 crore to a maximum of Rs. 25 crore. A total of Rs. 180 crore was collected per month.
Initially, an advance of Rs. 360 crore was taken for two months for September and October 2022 and handed over to the syndicates. Those who took the reaches from the district syndicates were given the opportunity to sell them to different people there.
Raj Kasireddy brought a subcontractor named KKR Infra to the fore in place of Turnkey. Waybills were issued in its name for 20 days. Realizing that there would be a problem with GST, another company named Braxton Infra was brought into the field as a subcontractor. Bills were also issued in its name for another 20 days.
Finally, due to objections from the GST officials, the turnkey who was initially expelled was called back, pressured and way bills were issued in his name. Thus, the sand business continued under Raj Kasireddy’s watch for about 15 months until November 2023.
The ACB is already investigating the sand robbery that took place during the YSRCP regime. Only the then Director of Mines Department, Venkata Reddy, has been arrested. It is learned that the ACB has collected information about the actors involved, the details of the syndicates, how the robbery was carried out, and who is behind it. However, the ACB is not being as aggressive as the CID in the liquor case.