The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Andhra Pradesh Police is interrogating former Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Commissioner Thumma Vijay Kumar Reddy over alleged corruption and irregularities during the YSR Congress Party government, particularly regarding the extension of undue favours to Sakshi through government advertisements.
On Wednesday, ACB officials questioned Vijay Kumar Reddy for nearly eight hours at their Guntur office. He was summoned at 10:40 a.m., and the interrogation continued until 7:20 p.m.
During the session, the ACB posed over 20 questions to him.
Investigators sought to know under whose instructions undue benefits were extended to Sakshi newspaper and TV channel in terms of advertisement allocations and bill payments.
“Between 2019 and 2024, how did Sakshi alone receive â¹371.12 crore worth of advertisements — accounting for 43% of total government ads? Who was behind this decision? Why were reservation policies not followed in outsourcing jobs at the I&PR Department and AP Digital Corporation? Who recommended these appointments?” officials reportedly asked.
They also questioned why Sakshi was given higher advertisement tariffs despite the committee recommending lower rates.
The ACB further probed Vijay Kumar Reddy’s background and how he secured a deputation to Andhra Pradesh.
“As a central government employee, how did you get posted to Andhra Pradesh? Who facilitated your transfer, and what was your relationship with them?” they inquired.
Investigators also sought clarity on the criteria used for allocating government advertisements during the YSRCP regime.
“Why were standard circulation-based norms ignored while favouring Sakshi? Did you ever raise objections against policy violations that led to financial losses to the government?” they asked.
Despite the pointed questions, sources say Vijay Kumar Reddy failed to provide satisfactory answers. His responses were reportedly vague and evasive, often claiming ignorance or memory lapses. On several key questions, he allegedly remained silent.
Due to his non-cooperative stance, the ACB has issued another notice directing him to appear for further questioning on Thursday.