Hyderabad, Feb 21: Noose around the neck of Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao is tightening with Nunna Ramana, who is in ACB custody, asserting that the minister had accepted Rs 10 lakh bribe from the liquor syndicate. 

Ramana, who was being questioned by the ACB investigators for the past two days, told the interrogators that they had paid Rs 10 lakhs as bribe to the Excise Minister for bringing about a settlement between two syndicates in Khammam district. 

It may be mentioned here that Nunna Ramana was taken into custody by the ACB officials in connection with the liquor syndicates scam. 

In his confessional statement, Ramana stated that they met Mopidevi in the Ministers’ Quarters when there were quarrels between two syndicate groups in the district. He stated that the minister held a panchayat and brought about a rapprochement between them for which they paid him Rs 10 lakh bribe. He explained that in all 14 members from both the warring groups went to the minister’s residence. Mopidevi called two members from each group, held a panchayat and accepted Rs 10 lakhs.