HC adjourns hearing on plea for anticipatory bail to ex-minister Kollu Ravindra

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a plea filed by former excise minister Kollu Ravindra seeking grant of anticipatory bail in the alleged liquor scam case to November 16.

The AP CID filed a case based on a complaint from AP State Beverages Corporation Limited upon finding several discrepancies in the policy decision of the previous TD government for the period 2014-19 and noticed that a few distillers were favoured by giving Letter of Intent contrary to the recommendations of the committee constituted by the state government. The FIR was booked against the former APSBCL commissioner Naresh, former excise minister Kollu Ravindra and former CM N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Ravindra, who was earlier evading summons, surrendered before the CID on November 7 and sought anticipatory bail. The CID opposed the bail plea stating that Ravindra was the prime accused in the case and was involved in irregularities in the liquor policy.

The court, after hearing arguments from both sides, adjourned the hearing to November 16.