Vigilance probe sought against bar owner in bribery case involving Kottayam Excise official
A bar owner is being investigated for allegedly acting as a middleman in a ₹55,000 bribery case involving a suspended Deputy Excise Commissioner, following an inquiry into a 'complimentary system'.
A bar owner is being investigated for allegedly acting as a middleman in a ₹55,000 bribery case involving a suspended Deputy Excise Commissioner, following an inquiry into a 'complimentary system'.
A bar owner is being investigated for allegedly acting as a middleman in a ₹55,000 bribery case involving a suspended Deputy Excise Commissioner, following an inquiry into a 'complimentary system'.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Excise Department has sought a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) probe against a bar owner accused of acting as a middleman in a ₹55,000 bribery case involving suspended Kottayam Deputy Excise Commissioner S Ashok Kumar.
Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao, in a letter to the VACB director on Thursday, sought legal action against Karinkada Jossy, partner of Panchavadi Bar in Changanassery, for allegedly abetting the offence under Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
According to the letter, investigators during a surprise inspection under Operation Bijapur, launched on August 28, found that Jossy had collected ₹15,000 from the manager of Newyork Square Bar at Thrikkodithanam and money from other bar owners before allegedly handing over a total of ₹55,000 to Ashok Kumar.
The Excise Commissioner said Jossy's alleged role amounted to abetment of an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sought legal action against him.
The case emerged from a wider Excise vigilance inquiry into allegations of a parallel 'complimentary system', under which officials allegedly accepted liquor, food and cash from bars in return for overlooking licensing and other violations. The inquiry has led to the suspension of seven officials, including Ashok Kumar.
The probe began after the Excise Minister and Commissioner received WhatsApp complaints alleging that bars in the Changanassery area were operating beyond permitted hours. During the inquiry, bar owners allegedly told investigators that fixed amounts were collected from establishments for distribution among officials during Onam, Christmas and annual licence renewals.
The inquiry also found allegations of officials demanding payments at other times of the year. Investigators found that bar owners were more vulnerable to such demands, given the substantial investments involved in running licensed bars, while strong trade unions in the toddy sector made officials more reluctant to pressure toddy shop owners.