Andhra liquor scam accused Avinash Reddy surrenders

Muppidi Avinash Reddy, the seventh accused in the ₹ 3,500-crore Andhra Pradesh liquor scam case, surrendered before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday, stated reports. "He (Avinash Reddy) surrendered and has been remanded," a police officer told mediapersons.

The move comes two days after the Supreme Court refused to grant him anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender before the police by February 26. The apex court also rejected his request for protection from arrest but granted him liberty to apply for regular bail before the trial court.

The investigation identified him as the relative of K. Rajasekhar Reddy,a n IT advisor to the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and prime accused in the case.

According to the probe, Avinash was an alleged core operational conspirator, financial controller and execution-level strategist of the "liquor syndicate" that functioned during the previous government between 2019 and 2024.

The SIT has named several accused in the case, including MPs, retired IAS officers, distillery companies and shell company owners.