YSR Congress Party MP Peddireddy Mithun Reddy, who is facing allegations of involvement in the high-profile liquor scam during the YSRCP regime, is likely to avoid arrest — at least for the time being.
According to highly placed sources, the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly advised the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government not to pursue Mithun Reddy’s arrest immediately, citing certain political considerations.
The BJP national leadership is said to have given the green light for the investigation into the liquor scam to proceed and suggested that arrests of involved officials and political figures could go ahead — excluding Mithun Reddy.
“He is a three-time Lok Sabha member, and arresting him without concrete evidence — based solely on suspicion — could lead to complications,” BJP leaders reportedly told the Chandrababu Naidu government.
Recently, TDP MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu raised the liquor scam issue in the Lok Sabha, detailing how it unfolded.
While the session was still underway, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly summoned Devarayalu to his Parliament office to learn more about the scam.
“During the meeting, the involvement of Mithun Reddy was mentioned, but Shah advised the MP not to name Mithun Reddy without solid evidence,” sources said.
Meanwhile, Mithun Reddy secured temporary relief from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which directed the CID not to arrest him until April 3, when a final verdict on his petition is expected.
In his petition, Mithun Reddy stated that media reports had falsely claimed his involvement in the case and that he feared arrest based on statements made by other accused individuals under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate.
He maintained that the allegations were baseless and asserted that, as an MP, he had no involvement in liquor-related transactions.
He also claimed that the CID was attempting to arrest him based solely on the testimony of Satya Prasad, a former special officer in the previous YSRCP government.
Reddy further argued that there is no evidence suggesting any loss to the state exchequer — in fact, the state reportedly earned more revenue from liquor sales between 2019 and 2024.
