The then mines director VG Venkat Reddy, also an MD of APMDC, is accused of having destroyed very crucial evidence in the alleged sand and mining scam said to be linked to some leaders in YSRCP, reportedly during the government headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy. According to reports, he had first hidden his official laptop used during his term from the ACB investigating officers. Despite many searches and his arrest, its location is still unknown.
Years later, after he was granted bail, Venkat Reddy handed over the laptop to the ACB. However, the device had been completely wiped of all information. Additionally, when asked about two iPhones linked to the case, Reddy claimed they were no longer in his possession. ACB's investigation revealed that the phones were deliberately destroyed.
The ACB arrested Venkat Reddy for long-term interrogation, but the statements given by him were reportedly ambiguous. The investigation was found to be a part of a larger criminal conspiracy aimed at hiding the details of the scam regarding the sand, involving some influential people. Evidence in support of these findings has been filed in court with stern legal action proposed against all of them.
The ACB puts the amount of money that allegedly went into the sand scam during Jagan's tenure of five years at ₹2,566 crore. It proves that Venkat Reddy involved companies like JPVL, GCKC, Pratima, and several more in a scheme of large-scale loot. The key findings revealed are:
Critical evidence, including communication and other data on the laptops and cell phones destroyed could have thrown light on the brains behind these illegal activities. The chances of recovering them are low, but the ACB is not giving up. It is still tracing those missing data and bringing criminals to book.
