In a major legal setback, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Lok Sabha floor leader and Rajampet MP Peddireddy Venkata Mithun Reddy encountered a setback on Thursday when the Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected his anticipatory bail application in the illegal liquor scam case. With this order, there is growing speculation about when he will be arrested, keeping the ruling party under growing political pressure.
In the face of increasing fear of arrest, Mithun Reddy had approached the High Court requesting anticipatory bail on the grounds that the charges leveled against him were politically motivated. The court, however, after a detailed perusal of the case, agreed with the CID, registering strong evidence against the MP and turning down his request. Legal experts opine that this ruling points towards the validity of the probe and indicates that Mithun Reddy was hand-in-glove with the scam.
Opposition leaders have compared Andhra Pradesh’s liquor scam to the Delhi liquor policy scandal, for which the AAP government is being taken to court. Critics are saying that corruption during the YSRCP rule is even bigger, with Mithun Reddy at the center of coordinating the scams.
Adding weight to these allegations, former YSRCP parliamentary leader V. Vijay Sai Reddy reportedly confirmed during a CID probe that the liquor scam did occur. He also disclosed that Kasireddy Rajasekhar Reddy supervised the operations, but emerging CID evidence suggests he was acting under Mithun Reddy’s directives.
With the High Court rejecting his bail request, legal experts predict that Mithun Reddy’s arrest is just a matter of time. The ruling indicates that the court found CID’s arguments more convincing, further reinforcing their case.
As the investigation progresses, the political impact on YSRCP is expected to be significant, with opposition parties already using this controversy to attack the ruling party. All eyes are now on the CID’s next move, as Mithun Reddy faces the real possibility of arrest in the coming days.