Probe ordered against Renukacharya after Lokayukta finds bottles missing; excise officer says minister asked for them.
It seems the state BJP has a penchant for path-breaking scams. After porngate, the state BJP is embroiled in another scandal of sorts, this time concerning resort politics and liquor bottles.
Yeddyurappa loyalist and Karnataka excise minister MP Renukacharya is in a tight spot now: an alleged cracker of an idea he adopted to cut the expenses at the Golden Palm resort could cost him his job.
It is alleged that Renuka-charya ordered fake raids on local bars to treat his colleagues holed up in the resort to some Scotch. Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa had herded some of his MLAs and ministers to the resort on the outskirts of Bangalore to bring pressure on the BJP to reinstate him as chief minister.
The scam was busted when a team of Lokayukta officials raided the office of deputy commissioner of excise (Bangalore) LN Mohan Kumar on a tip-off. During the check, the Lokayukta sleuths found a huge number of liquor bottles (Indian and foreign) stored in his office.
Mohan Kumar tried to prove that the raids on the bars were official and showed them a seizure list. But a quick check revealed that much of the stock was missing. When Mohan Kumar was questioned, he confessed that he raided a few local bars and restaurants — on the directions of Renukacharya — and that the “missing” bottles had already been delivered at the Golden Palm resort.
Based on Kumar’s confessions, the Lokayukta filed a case of corruption against him and placed him under arrest. As many as 24 bottles of imported liquor and Rs25,000, which was unaccounted for, were seized from his office. A detailed report on the raids along with the statement of Mohan Kumar was submitted to the Lokayukta Special Court on Saturday. The court then ordered a probe against the excise minister for alleged violation of excise rules and misuse of official power.
Kumar was produced before Justice NK Sudhindra Rao of the Lokayukta special court at his residence in Koramangala and Kumar was said to have made the same statements, which the judge considered as a complaint and ordered an inquiry against Renukacharya.
Kumar had also moved a bail petition, the hearing of which was adjourned by the special court to Monday. Kumar will remain in judicial custody till the petition comes up for hearing.
On Thursday, the Lokayukta police conducted searches on the offices of the four deputy commissioners of the State Excise Department in Bangalore, based on complaints of large-scale irregularities in year-end transactions. While the other deputy commissioners came out clean, Kumar got caught.
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