Rajampet MP Mithun Reddy has been released from Rajahmundry Central Jail after spending 68 days in prison. The ACB Court granted him conditional bail with strict terms. He must provide two sureties of Rs 2 lakh each, appear before the officer on Mondays and Fridays, and avoid threatening witnesses.
Sakshi gave wide coverage to the development, dedicating almost its entire second page. It carried stories that created the impression Mithun Reddy was acquitted. The reports suggested the court had dismissed the case, ending the investigation against him.
However, the bail was granted only because the investigating agency had already filed two charge sheets in the case. This meant the accused naturally became eligible for bail. The court did not examine the merits of the charges while deciding the bail.
If the court had reviewed the merits, it would have considered acquittal, not bail. If Sakshi portrays Mithun Reddy as cleared of charges, it should show the same approach in the case of Chandrababu Naidu. Instead, it has claimed the liquor policy is completely clean.
According to the SIT, the main accused Raj Kasireddy collected Rs 50–60 crore every month in the liquor scam. He handed over the money to YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy, Vijayasai Reddy, and Govindappa Balaji of Bharathi Cements, who managed finances for Jagan’s wife Bharathi.
Investigators found that the funds were transferred to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy from time to time. Nearly Rs 3,500 crore was diverted in this manner. He is considered the end-beneficiary, and it may only be a matter of time before he is named as an accused.
The reality of the liquor policy during Jagan’s rule will be fully known if such an arrest happens. Soon after his release, Mithun Reddy held a rally with followers as a show of strength. This violated his bail conditions.
