Bengaluru: In a major anti-corruption operation, Lokayukta police on Wednesday arrested the Excise Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District-8, along with two other excise officials, for allegedly demanding and accepting a massive bribe for issuing CL-7 and microbrewery licences.
The trap was successfully laid under the supervision of Shiva Prakash Devraju, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Bengaluru City-1.
Officials Caught Red-Handed
The prime accused, Jagadeesh Naik (57), serving as Excise Deputy Commissioner, was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting the first instalment of ₹25 lakh at the Excise Department office in Byatarayanapura.
Along with him, Lokayukta police also arrested:
- Thammanna KM (41), Superintendent of Excise
- Lakkappa Gani (31), Excise Constable
All three were secured at the spot, and the bribe money was seized.
₹80 Lakh Demand, Later Escalated to ₹2.25 Crore
According to the complaint filed by Lakshminarayana C (60), the officials initially demanded ₹80 lakh to clear files related to CL-7 liquor licence and microbrewery approval.
The complainant alleged that:
- The bribe demand was later escalated to ₹2.25 crore
- After negotiations, it was brought down to ₹50 lakh
- Officials insisted on an immediate first instalment of ₹25 lakh
Unable to arrange the amount, the complainant reportedly borrowed money from friends to meet the demand.
“No Work Without Bribe,” Alleges Complainant
In his statement, the complainant alleged that excise officials openly told him that no licence work would move forward without paying bribes, exposing a deep-rooted corruption racket within the department.
The trap operation was executed by a Lokayukta team led by:
- Govindaraju M, Police Inspector
- Basavaraj Pulhari, PI
- Ramappa M Savalagi, PI
The operation was supervised by Sunil Y Naik, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta, Bengaluru City-1.
Legal Case Registered
A case has been registered under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018). Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether more officials or middlemen are involved in the bribery network.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: CL-7 ಹಾಗೂ ಮೈಕ್ರೋ ಬ್ರಿವರಿ ಪರವಾನಗಿ ಲಂಚ ಪ್ರಕರಣ: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಅಬಕಾರಿ ಉಪ ಆಯುಕ್ತ ಸೇರಿ ಮೂವರು ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಬಂಧನ
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