Three petitioners — a retired IAS officer (former Secretary to the Chief Minister), a retired Special Deputy Collector who served as OSD in the Chief Minister's Office, and a private individual — sought regular bail before the Andhra Pradesh High Court in connection with an alleged large-scale liquor policy scam (Crime No.21 of 2024) involving irregularities in APSBCL and excise policy during 2019-2024. The petitioners had earlier been granted default bail by the Special Court, which was set aside by the High Court; their SLPs before the Supreme Court were dismissed, though interim protection was continued to enable them to seek regular bail. The petitioners argued parity with co-accused already on bail, completion of investigation, prolonged pre-trial incarceration violating Article 21, senior citizen status, and no adverse conduct during interim release, while the State opposed bail citing their role as facilitators of the scam and the gravity of the economic offence. The High Court proceeded to determine whether the petitioners were entitled to regular bail, applying settled principles of bail jurisprudence including the constitutional safeguard under Article 21 against prolonged pre-trial detention, but the judgment text as provided does not record the final operative order.