Andhra SIT nabs liquor scam accused from BR Hills resort

CHAMARAJANAGAR: A special investigation team (SIT) from Andhra Pradesh nabbed an accused in the liquor scam in that state, Balaji Govindappa, from a private resort at BR Hills and took him back to Andhra Pradesh.

Balaji Govindappa had been staying in the resort for the last one week and is a director and auditor in Bharathi Cement Pvt Ltd, whose chairperson is Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s wife Y S Bharathi. The SIT managed to track him down to the BR Hills resort.

The liquor scam is said to have taken place when Jaganmohan Reddy was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. The SIT had issued a notice to Balaji Govindappa to join the investigation, but he reportedly managed to sneak into BR Hills at night during the traffic ban.

However, Biligiri Tiger Reserve (BRT) Range Forest Officer, Yelandur, H N Nagendra Nayak said, “The people from Andhra Pradesh entered BR Hills between 9 am and 9.30 am on May 8. Movement of private vehicles is prohibited from 6 pm to 6 am at BR Hills and only emergency vehicles like ambulances, fire tenders and local vehicles are allowed.”