Encouraged by the directives of the AP High Court in the liquor scam probe, the ACB has booked six more cases against liquor syndicates in several districts. They pertain to frauds committed in the auction of liquor shops.
The probe revealed that, to avoid being quizzed by the ACB, the main offenders have pressurised those in whose names the liquor licences were issued, who are white ration card holders, to go on pilgrimage.
Village elders to counsel the ‘benamis’: ACB
Sources said, in order to avoid being grilled, the liquor syndicate kingpins are providing the benamis with tickets and other facilities and forcing them to leave their home towns to visit pilgrim centres.
“In some districts, the core offenders asked the innocent people (in whose name the shops are taken) to go on pilgrimage and not be available to us for the probe. We have requested local elders to counsel them not to be afraid of the ACB,” said ACB director-general Boobathi Babu. Six new cases were booked in Srikakulam, East Godavari, Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool. Most of the liquor shop owners on paper are white ration card holders who could not have bid huge sums running into crores in the auctions.
Kadapa topped with 66 per cent of shops seemingly owned by white ration card holders. Many licence holders were from other districts. In Srikakulam, 69 of the 232 licence holders are from other districts. While most white ration card holders live below the poverty line, in some cases those who are financially well off were also found to be in possession of white ration cards. Mr Babu said the ACB is aware of this ration card scam, but it is not the focus of the probe.