Andhra Pradesh's liquor scam has officially graduated from a state SIT case to a Centre-level pile-on. The IT Department joined the ED and SIT on May 2, 2026 to chase Rs 2,000 crore in unaccounted cash that allegedly travelled to Dubai through fake invoices. Three agencies; one paper trail.
The Special Investigation Team has already pegged bribes at Rs 1,677.68 crore from 16 distilleries that secured government supply orders worth Rs 10,835.37 crore between 2019 and 2024. The Enforcement Directorate has been raiding properties for months. As of May 2, 2026 the Income Tax Department has stepped in to investigate roughly Rs 2,000 crore in unaccounted transactions, an estimated Rs 50-60 crore in monthly illicit cash, Rs 76.92 crore in fake invoices issued by two distilleries, and hawala channels routing money to Dubai. The ED has reportedly forwarded its records to the IT Department, which is now preparing tax-evasion notices to the principal accused. Three central agencies independently reading the same ledger is being framed as a coordination victory rather than what it actually is — an admission that no single agency could keep up with the bookkeeping.