Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday arrested nine officials of excise department involved in the liquor shop auction scam. The arrested were identified as Kothagudem excise superintendent Y.B. Bhaskar Rao, assistant excise superintendent Harikrishna Swamy, Kothagudem former station house officer A.V. Ramana Reddy, Palvoncha SHO A. Kishan, Bhadrachalam former SHO B. Srinivas Rao, Burgampad SHO P. Shyam Kumar, Manuguru former SHO Hari Baba Rao, Venkatapuram former SHO Isthari, Aswaraopet SHO Jaya Ram.
ACB had registered a case against them on March 15 regarding irregularities in liquor shop auctions in 2010 in Kothagudem excise division. ACB DG, Boobathi Babu said, “After the auctioning authority approved the successful bidders and signed the relevant register in respect of 83 shops, the accused officials fraudulently manipulated the auction records and documents. They added the names of other persons and subverted the auction process for 64 shops. They gained pecuniary advantage for themselves and the liquor syndicate.”
The arrested officials were produced before second additional special judge of ACB cases in the city. Earlier on March 2, ACB registered a case against four officials of excise department who connived with liquor syndicate leader Nunna Venkata Ramana. Meanwhile, The ACB court on Friday extended the judicial remand of liquor syndicate leader Nunna Venkata Ramana to March 30. The court also extended the judicial remand of excise officials — Khammam district deputy commissioner Narsimha Rao, assistant superintendent Shanka-raiah and CI Sarvesar-anath — who were arrested for their links with liquor syndicates.