ACB arrests liquor syndicate leader Balraj from Bangalore

                                                                        
Hyderabad, Apr 4 (PTI) Sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested yet another liquor syndicate leader from Bangalore on charges of paying bribe to excise and police officials for smooth running of their "illegal" liquor trade. B Balraju Goud, who was absconding since January this year after his alleged involvement in the liquor bribery was arrested yesterday from Bangalore while on his way to Kolkata, ACB Director General D Bhupathi Babu said here today. Goud, who owns seven bars and restaurants in the twin cities and 28 wine shops in and around Hyderabad besides neighbouring Mahaboobnagar and Medak districts had obtained licences for all these shops under "benami" (in the name of his relatives) for which he arranged finances

Goud, who owns seven bars and restaurants in the twin cities and 28 wine shops in and around Hyderabad besides neighbouring Mahaboobnagar and Medak districts had obtained licences for all these shops under “benami” (in the name of his relatives) for which he arranged finances, the top ACB official said.
“He coordinated the activities of these shops and manages through his wide network the enforcement agencies by paying regular and recurrent bribes to ensure that there are no obstacles to their illegal acts,” Babu said in a statement.
Goud confessed that the flow of Non-Duty paid liquor to Andhra Pradesh is rampant from the states of Haryana, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and that the border check posts are managed, he added.
ACB sleuths have been conducting raids in different districts across the state since December last year after “exposing” the liquor syndicate-political-officials nexus, with the arrest of liquor syndicate led by Nunna Venkata Ramana, who, allegedly confessed he paid Rs 10 lakh to State Excise Minister Mopivedi Venkat Ramana and ‘mamools’ (bribe) was also paid to two MLAs.
ACB has also arrested several excise and police officials since March this year for their alleged links with the liquor mafia.
The agency had registered around 30 cases after conducting searches in Hyderabad and Khammam districts in connection with the role of excise officials who had allegedly connived with liquor shop licensees.