YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha MP P Mithun Reddy, who has been facing the threat of arrest in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Andhra Pradesh (reportedly spanning from 2019 to 2024), has finally received relief from the Supreme Court.
On Monday, a division bench comprising Justice J V Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan granted interim bail to Mithun Reddy, directing the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) not to arrest him until the next hearing.
The bench took up Reddy’s petition, filed on Friday, seeking anticipatory bail to avoid arrest in connection with the case.
Reports had emerged that CID teams traveled to New Delhi on Saturday with the intention of taking the Rajampet MP into custody. However, they were unable to trace him.
Sources suggested that Reddy had gone into hiding pending the Supreme Court's decision.
The CID has registered a case alleging a large-scale liquor scam during the YSRCP’s tenure.
Several individuals have been named as accused, and serious allegations have reportedly been leveled against Mithun Reddy.
Although his name does not appear in the First Information Report (FIR), Reddy had earlier approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court for anticipatory bail.
The high court dismissed his plea, questioning how bail could be granted when his name wasn’t even mentioned in the FIR.
Following the rejection, he moved the Supreme Court, which has now granted temporary protection from arrest.
It remains to be seen whether the apex court will offer further relief. If not, CID officials may proceed with taking him into custody once the interim protection lapses, sources said.
