Excise officials, including Deputy Commissioner, suspended over bribery charges

An Excise Deputy Commissioner and six other excise officials based in Kottayam district were suspended following allegations of collecting cash, liquor, and other benefits from licensed bars in the district. The action was taken after Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao launched ‘Operation Bijapur’ to verify the veracity of the allegations.

The suspended officials are S. Asoka Kumar, Deputy Excise Commissioner, Kottayam; Preventive Officers M. Manuel, Lalu Thankachan, Praveen Sivanand, Santhosh T., Shiju K.; and Civil Excise Officer Visakh A.S. Minor penalty proceedings were initiated separately against Adarsh G.L., Excise Range Inspector, Changanassery, for alleged supervisory lapses.

Operation Bijapur was initiated following a series of independent inputs from Kottayam, which raised concerns both about violations by licensed establishments and about possible misconduct within the enforcement system. Complaints were received by the Excise Minister on WhatsApp alleging illegal liquor sales beyond the permitted hours at three bar hotels near Changanassery.

In an inquiry by the Excise Commissioner, information emerged that regular monetary payments and other benefits were allegedly being routed to Excise personnel through intermediaries and that special collections were also being organised around the Onam period in the name of officers at different levels. During investigation at the New York Square Bar, Thrikkodithanam, CCTV footage of visits involving Excise personnel on August 19, 22, and 24 were found, the inquiry report said.

The report added that as per a bar owner, collections were ordinarily made three times in a year — at the time of licence renewal, during Onam and during Christmas. Fixed amounts were paid so that the establishment would not face problems in matters requiring Excise permissions. He stated that there was an element of fear and that establishments felt compelled to make such payments. The bar owner confirmed that the Deputy Excise Commissioner had visited the establishment and said that the official had directed that an amount be handed over through an intermediary, Karinkkada Josy, who runs another bar.

As per the inquiry report, the available material attributes a direct and central role to the Deputy Excise Commissioner, Kottayam. The fact that the Deputy Excise Commissioner contacted the intermediary even while the inquiry by the Excise Commissioner was in progress further pointed to an apparent improper nexus between the Deputy Commissioner and Mr. Josy. The Deputy Commissioner’s initial denial and subsequent admission that he had arranged for remote wiping of his mobile phone while it was under examination was found as a separate aggravating circumstance, the report said.