Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 17: In a sensational anti-corruption operation, the Karnataka Lokayukta on Friday caught three officials of the Excise Department, including a deputy commissioner, red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lac, part of a larger demand of Rs 2.30 crore, for issuing liquor-related licences in Bengaluru.

Those arrested have been identified as Jagadish Naik, Deputy Commissioner of the Excise Department, Thammanna, Excise Superintendent of the Battarayana Pura zone, and Lakkappa, an Excise Constable.

According to Lokayukta sources, the accused officials allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.30 crore from Lakshmi Narayan, a Bengaluru-based businessman, for granting a CL-7 liquor licence and a Microbrewery licence.

The officials are said to have fixed separate rates for each licence, demanding Rs 75 lac for the CL-7 licence and Rs 1.5 crore for the Microbrewery licence. After negotiations, the deal was allegedly settled at Rs 2.25 crore, with the officials insisting on an advance payment of Rs 25 lac.

Acting on the complaint, Lokayukta officials laid a trap at the Excise Bhavan in Byatarayanapura. While the accused were in the process of receiving the advance bribe amount, the Lokayukta team conducted a raid and caught deputy commissioner Jagadish Naik and excise constable Lakkappa at the spot.

Meanwhile, excise superintendent Thammanna, who initially managed to flee the scene during the raid, was later traced and arrested near the Vyalikaval area. He was subsequently brought back to the Excise Bhavan by Lokayukta officials.

All three accused officials have been taken into custody and are currently being interrogated by the Lokayukta. Officials said the investigation is continuing and that the involvement of additional officials cannot be ruled out.

The high-profile Lokayukta operation has caused a major stir within the excise department and is being viewed as a significant step in the state’s ongoing crackdown on corruption in public offices.