Excise officials, including Deputy Commissioner, suspended over bribery charges
Seven excise officials in Kottayam, India, have been suspended following an investigation into bribery and illegal collections from licensed bars. The operation, dubbed 'Operation Bijapur,' uncovered evidence of systemic corruption.
Why it matters
The case highlights issues of corruption within regulatory enforcement agencies and the impact of bribery on local business operations.
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.
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