Supreme Court Grants Interim Relief in Andhra Pradesh Liquor Scam

The Supreme Court extended interim protection to three individuals involved in the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam but refrained from intervening with the High Court's decision to cancel default bail. The accused, linked to political-business manipulation in liquor procurement, must seek regular bail from the trial court.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has extended interim protection to three individuals implicated in the Rs 3,500 crore Andhra Pradesh liquor scam. This comes after the Andhra Pradesh High Court had earlier canceled their default bail, necessitating their surrender.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, directed the accused to approach the trial court for securing regular bail. The decision came amidst allegations of a political-business nexus in liquor procurement operations during the previous YSRCP administration.

Senior lawyers CA Sundaram, Siddharth Dave, and Mukul Rohatgi represented the accused, while Siddharth Luthra stood for the Andhra Pradesh government. The prosecution has raised concerns about manipulated procurement processes, suppression of popular liquor brands, and financial misconduct from 2019 to 2024.