Excise chief’s covert Kottayam mission uncovers alleged Rs 81,000 bar collections
A phone call, a secret journey and a late-night confrontation at 1 am have culminated in the suspension of seven Kerala Excise officials in Kottayam, following a covert departmental probe into alleged corruption involving licensed bars in the Changanassery area.
The operation, code-named ‘Operation Bijapur’, began after Kerala Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao received a complaint alleging that officials were collecting money and other benefits from bar establishments, allegedly with the help of intermediaries.
What made the probe unusual was the level of secrecy surrounding it.
Rao reportedly kept even the local Excise machinery outside the operation, travelling to Kottayam without his official vehicle or escort while telling a colleague that he was heading to Bijapur in Karnataka.
Instead, the Commissioner checked into a private bar hotel in Kottayam on August 27, accompanied by Additional Excise Commissioner R Jayashankar and a small team.
The move followed complaints received by Rao and Excise Minister M Liju about alleged liquor sales beyond permitted hours at three bar hotels in the Changanassery area.
Another complaint pointed to an intermediary allegedly collecting money for senior Excise officials.
Complaint turns into covert probe
The first complaint reportedly came through a phone call from a person working in the Kottayam area.
Rao contacted the complainant again, assured confidentiality and obtained a detailed complaint along with supporting material through WhatsApp.
With similar allegations having reached Minister Liju, the decision was taken to verify them without informing the officers whose conduct was under scrutiny.
Rather than relying solely on routine departmental inspections, the Commissioner and his team approached bar owners and managers directly.
Those who had shared information were asked to meet Rao at his temporary place of stay, where their allegations, documents and other material were examined.
The inquiry allegedly revealed a pattern of cash, liquor, food and other benefits being collected from bars through intermediaries.
Investigators also examined allegations of special collections during occasions such as Onam, with officials at different levels allegedly receiving money or gifts.
The probe then zeroed in on Kottayam Deputy Excise Commissioner S Asoka Kumar and intermediary Karinkada Josy.
Rs 55,000 alleged collection examined
The investigation included CCTV footage and other material concerning alleged visits by Excise personnel to bar establishments.
On August 28, Excise Vigilance officials joined the operation despite the day being dry on account of Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti. Vigilance SP B Krishnakumar reportedly reached Kottayam that night and became part of the probe.
Investigators are said to have obtained direct evidence through a phone conversation involving a bar establishment and the Deputy Excise Commissioner.
According to the inquiry, bar representatives were asked to contact Asoka Kumar through WhatsApp.
During the conversation, the officer allegedly referred to expenses connected with Onam celebrations and sought a substantial amount, while indicating how the money was to be handed over.
Investigators subsequently visited the premises of the alleged intermediary and examined his communications and transactions involving the Deputy Excise Commissioner.
The preliminary inquiry recorded alleged collections totalling Rs 55,000 from four establishments: New York Square, Blue Star, Breezeland and Panchavadi, through the intermediary in connection with the Deputy Excise Commissioner.
A separate alleged collection of Rs 26,000 from New York Square Bar was also examined.
According to the suspension order, the Rs 26,000 was allegedly handed over in four envelopes to Excise personnel.
The alleged roles of Civil Excise Officer Visakh AS and Preventive Officer Lalu Thankachan, among others, were examined.
The inquiry also found prima facie evidence suggesting that certain officials had received liquor, beer and food items from the establishment.
Commissioner confronts senior officer at 1 am
The probe reached its most dramatic point in the early hours of August 29, when Rao and Vigilance SP Krishnakumar arrived at Asoka Kumar’s residence in Changanassery at around 1 am.
The questioning began with investigators seeking clarification on certain matters.
As the evidence gathered during the covert operation was placed before him, the Deputy Excise Commissioner reportedly denied the allegations, saying that rivals and enemies were behind the complaints and maintaining that he had been working honestly.
Rao told him that the team had documentary and other evidence and asked him to account for the transactions.
After being confronted with evidence allegedly indicating collections from bar establishments and the involvement of officials at different levels, Asoka Kumar is reported to have verbally admitted receiving Rs 55,000 through the intermediary.
He subsequently declined to give a written statement, according to the inquiry.
His mobile phone was then seized for examination. Investigators found that data had allegedly been deleted from the device after its seizure. Technical assistance was sought to examine the deletion and whether the phone could have been accessed remotely.
The department treated the alleged deletion of data as an aggravating circumstance.
Seven officials suspended
The fallout from the probe was swift. The department suspended seven officials:
- S Asoka Kumar, Kottayam Deputy Excise Commissioner
- M Manuel, Preventive Officer
- Lalu Thankachan, Preventive Officer
- Praveen Sivanand, Preventive Officer
- Santhosh T, Preventive Officer
- Shiju K, Preventive Officer (Grade)
- Visakh AS, Civil Excise Officer
Separately, Changanassery Excise Range Inspector Adarsh GL faces minor-penalty proceedings over alleged supervisory lapses.
Investigators also examined CCTV footage from New York Square Bar at Thrikkodithanam, including footage relating to Excise personnel's visits on August 19, 22 and 24.
The departmental proceedings are continuing, with further action expected based on the findings.
Why ‘Operation Bijapur’?
The operation's name itself was part of the deception. ‘Bijapur’ was reportedly chosen as a cover so that the Commissioner's actual destination and the purpose of his movement would remain concealed from the departmental machinery in Kottayam.
By informing a colleague that he was travelling to Bijapur in Karnataka, Rao was able to preserve the secrecy of the operation while actually travelling to Kottayam to investigate allegations involving officials of his own department.
What began with a confidential complaint on the Excise Commissioner's phone thus grew into a wider investigation into alleged recurring collections from licensed bars, the role of intermediaries and the alleged acceptance of liquor, food, gifts and other benefits by officials.