SIT questions former Minister Karumuri Nageswara Rao in liquor transport scam case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) questioned former Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Karumuri Nageswara Rao in the alleged liquor transport scam.

A court had granted five days’ police custody of Mr. Nageswara Rao in the alleged ₹200-crore liquor transport scam. The former Minister was arrested in August in the scam.

Investigating officers allege that crores of rupees changed hands in the alleged liquor scam during the YSRCP government.

SIT officers took Mr. Nageswara Rao into custody from the Chanchalguda jail on Monday and shifted him to Vijayawada. After medical tests at the Government General Hospital.

Investigating officers questioned Mr. Nageswara Rao on his bank transactions, the diversion of funds during the previous government and his links with other accused in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Mr. Nageswara Rao in August in a money laundering case relating to liquor transport contracts awarded by the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited. The ED has alleged that the contracts were awarded at inflated rates of about ₹35 a kilometre against a prevailing rate of ₹13. It had earlier arrested his son K. Sunil Kumar. YSRCP leaders have described the arrests as political vendetta by the coalition government.