Even though former minister and YSR Congress party leader Jogi Ramesh tried to brush off allegations of his involvement in the sensational spurious liquor scam unearthed in Andhra Pradesh by openly challenging the government and expressing readiness to undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence, firm evidence of his close association with the prime accused, Addepalli Janardhan Rao (A1), who has already been arrested in the case, continues to surface in various forms every day, only making the case more intriguing.
After the leaked WhatsApp chats and a viral video in which A1 Janardhan Rao claimed that he orchestrated the entire illicit liquor racket under the direct supervision and guidance of Jogi Ramesh with the intention of tarnishing the TDP-led coalition government in the state, new photographs featuring the duo in close proximity are now going viral on social media. These images appear to be from a private function, but their timing clearly strengthens the argument that Jogi Ramesh had close ties with the Addepalli brothers in the past.
In the photos, Jogi Ramesh can be seen seated alongside Janardhan Rao and his brother Jagan Mohan Rao, both accused in the liquor scandal. While Ramesh has strongly denied any role in the scam or having any association with Janardhan Rao and his brother, the WhatsApp conversations and these photos are expected to play a significant role during the investigation. Ramesh may claim that the chats were fabricated and the testimony by Janardhan Rao was scripted, but he may find it difficult to disown the photographs and his alleged connection with the prime accused.
Jogi Ramesh has tried to maintain that he barely interacted with Janardhan Rao or anyone linked to this high-profile scam, but the emerging evidence tells a completely different story. Despite his tall claims and public challenges, political circles strongly believe that he played a key role in the entire operation. He will now be under pressure to provide convincing explanations for these proofs if he wants to keep himself out of legal trouble.
He is yet to respond to the viral photos, but their emergence has further intensified the case and added fuel to ongoing suspicions.