PIL seeks Srinivasa Reddy back in ACB

HYDERABAD: A leader of the TDP filed a public interest litigation petition in HC here on Tuesday with a request for direction to the state government for re-transfer of K Srinivasa Reddy as ACB additional director, Hyderabad immediately in order to continue his investigation as head of the Special Investigation Team  into the alleged liquor syndicate scam. The IPS officer has recently been transferred as inspector-general of police, coastal security wing. Telugu Mahila president and former MLA Sobha Hymavathi Devi of Visakhapatnam, in her petition, requested the court to declare the transfer of Srinivasa Reddy as arbitrary and illegal and to direct the government to transfer him back to the ACB immediately. Though the ACB had booked 24 cases against the liquor mafia in the state, it was under tremendous pressure from the government to water down the investigation and to drop names of politicians involved in the scam, she alleged and said that though Srinivasa Reddy was promoted, the timing of the promotion and transfer was not a coincidence."I came to know that transport minister and APCC president Botcha had obtained licences in the name of his relatives to run wine shops across Vizianagaram district. I strongly believe that the minister is, directly or indirectly, benami owner of a majority of liquor shops.. The said transfer orders were issued in connection with the visit of the chief minister and the transport minister to Delhi in order to settle their disputes before the Congress high command and to purchase peace between them. The said transfer is made only to protect Botcha in particular and other party MLAs and ministers. This is the best example of gross misuse of power and authority of the government in interfering with the ongoing investigation", the petitioner alleged.The TDP leader also requested the court to monitor the ACB investigation in respect of fraudulent and benami transactions in liquor trade, including bribes received by public servants and politicians from liquor syndicates. She made the chief secretary, principal secretary (home), ACB director-general and Botcha Satyanarayana as the respondents.