Ex-Andhra Minister Jogi Ramesh sent to judicial custody in spurious liquor case

Vijayawada, Nov 3 (IANS) YSR Congress Party leader and former Minister Jogi Ramesh and his brother Jogi Ramu were sent to judicial custody till November 13 by a court here on Monday in the spurious liquor case.

Jogi brothers, who were arrested on Sunday, were produced before a magistrate at his residence in the early hours of Monday.

After hearing the arguments on the police remand report, the magistrate pronounced the orders at 5 a.m., remanding the duo to judicial custody.

The police subsequently shifted them to Vijayawada jail.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the spurious liquor case, arrested Jogi Ramesh from his residence at Ibrahimpatnam in NTR district early Sunday. His brother Ramu was also taken into custody.

Jogi Ramesh and his brother were interrogated by the SIT for 12 hours at the excise department office in Vijayawada. Around midnight, they were taken to the government hospital for medical examination and were later produced before the magistrate at his residence.

The former minister was questioned by the SIT on the basis of the statement by Addepalli Janardhana Rao, the prime accused in the case, who alleged that spurious liquor was manufactured under the directions of Jogi Ramesh.

In a video which went viral last month, Janardhana Rao said that though he stopped the production of spurious liquor immediately after the TDP-led NDA came to power, Jogi Ramesh called him over the phone in April this year and asked him to manufacture spurious liquor.

The prime accused also claimed that Jogi Ramesh assured him that he would give him Rs three crore to open a distillery in Africa.

Janardhan Rao reportedly told police that in 2023, when Jogi Ramesh was minister, he started production of spurious liquor in Ibrahimpatnam. He stated that before leaving for Africa, he had called on Jogi Ramesh at his house in Ibrahimpatnam on September 23.

Jogi Ramesh’s arrest came a day after he filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the sensational spurious liquor case.

He alleged that the coalition government is deliberately trying to frame him in the case for political reasons. He stated that the ongoing investigation by state police is biased and politically influenced.

The YSRCP leader argued that only a Central agency like the CBI can conduct a fair and impartial probe. He requested the High Court to issue orders transferring the investigation of the two FIRs registered at Mulakalacheruvu and Bhavanipuram police stations to the CBI.

Ramesh also demanded that the CBI investigate his complaint dated October 15, which he filed after the release of a recorded statement given by Janardhana Rao while in police custody. He alleged that the video appears to have been recorded under duress.

YSRCP has condemned Jogi Ramesh’s arrest and termed it illegal. Its president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of resorting to the arrest to divert public attention from his own and his party leaders’ involvement in spurious liquor.

--IANS

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