Vijayawada: Krishnalanka police on Tuesday booked Congress former MLA Malladi Vishnu, along with eight others, including his family members who own the Hotel M and hold the licence of the bar and restaurant where five persons died after consuming adulterated liquor.
After establishing that Mr Vishnu has invested in the bar and restaurant functioning in the cellar of the four-storeyed hotel at Nehrunagar in Krishnalanka owned by his brothers, police named the former MLA as accused No. 9.
The other accused are: Bhagavathula Sarath Chandra, Kavuri Purna Chandra Sharma, K.A. Lakshmi, Malladi Balatripura Sundramma, Kalisadu Venkata Ramana, Rajipindi Malakonda Reddy, Tata Venkateswara Rao and Nunna Venkata Nageswararao.
A case was registered following a complaint by D. Pandu Ranga Rao, 28, an auto driver who is one of the victims under Sections 304(a) and 328 of IPC and Section 37(a)(i)(ii) of Excise Act.
The former MLA in his election affidavit, had said that he has shares in Swarnamayee Restaurant & Bar. The investment is worth Rs 34,722.
However, Mr Vishnu told DC that he was in no way related to the Bar and his relatives own it.
“What is being claimed by the police regarding investment in the bar and restaurant is not true. There is no chance of liquor adulteration too,” he added.
Meanwhile, excise commissioner M.K. Meena said that adulteration took place in the bar and restaurant itself.
“It is not sure whether the foreign substance was mixed in the water or in the liquor. But the mixing took place on the premises,” he said. AP DGP J.V. Ramudu, who visited the victims at the hospital, said no one would be spared.
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