The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Karumuri Sunil Kumar in connection with the Andhra Pradesh liquor transport scam. Sunil Kumar, the son of former Andhra Pradesh minister Karumuri Nageswara Rao, was presented before the Special Court (PMLA) and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. It was revealed during court proceedings that Sunil Kumar’s father, Nageswara Rao, allegedly secured liquor transport sub-contracts for his business associates due to his position as a minister in the YSR Congress Party government.
Last week, the ED conducted searches at five premises in Hyderabad linked to individuals including Kesireddy Rajashekhar Reddy, Dontireddy Vasudeva Reddy, and Karumuri Nageswara Rao. The searches resulted in the arrest of Raj Kesireddy and Vasudeva Reddy, who were sent to judicial custody following their appearance before the Special Court. The investigations led to the discovery of a luxury car, expensive watches valued at Rs 94.5 lakh, and undisclosed cash, along with incriminating documents related to the financial crimes.
The ED’s probe uncovered that Kesireddy played a central role in manipulating liquor transportation tenders of the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Ltd. by leveraging his political connections. It was found that Kesireddy, along with Vasudeva Reddy and others, conspired to subvert the transportation policy framework for personal gains. The investigation, initiated based on an FIR filed by the CID, Andhra Pradesh, revealed irregularities in the liquor transport tender conditions, favoring specific entities associated with the accused individuals.
