The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association has written a letter to governor accusing excise minister RB Thimmapur and his office of corruption, claiming that around ₹16 crore were amassed as bribe through officer transfers and distribution of liquor licences.
Minister Thimmapur denied the allegations, questioning the rationale behind the alleged payments. “No such thing has happened. You must ask them why they went to pay money. Why would anyone pay if everything is correct?” he told reporters in Shiggaon, Haveri district.
In a letter to governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, chief secretary Shalini Rajaneesh, and the Karnataka Lokayukta on Monday, the association said that around ₹16 crore was amassed from various excise department officers by transferring them in and around Bengaluru.
The letter said that excise officers allegedly paid substantial sums to receive or retain posts in the Bengaluru area. “Huge bribes and money laundering took place in the excise minister office in Bengaluru in transferring excise officers and to control illegal collection of money for election purposes from excise officials,” read the letter.
It further stated that three deputy commissioners, nine superintendents, 13 deputy superintendents, and 20 inspectors allegedly paid bribes ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹40 lakh each to facilitate these transfers.
{{/usCountry}}It further stated that three deputy commissioners, nine superintendents, 13 deputy superintendents, and 20 inspectors allegedly paid bribes ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹40 lakh each to facilitate these transfers.
{{/usCountry}}It stated that over the last two to three years, high-ranking officials in the excise department collected between ₹2.5 crore and ₹3 crore from each round of transfers, with these sums gathered through a systematic process targeting officials nearing the end of their tenures. They urged the authorities to take “action against those involved in this corruption”.
The letter also alleged corruption in the distribution of CL7 bar licenses, which are required to operate liquor bars in Karnataka. According to the association, nearly 1,000 CL7 licenses were issued in the past year, each reportedly involving bribes between ₹30 lakh and ₹70 lakh.
“CL7 bar licences were given at a bribe amount of anywhere between ₹30-70 lakh by the minister, and in the last one year, 1,000 such illegal licences were given by the excise minister, amounting to ₹300-700 crore in corruption,” the letter said.
In response, minister Thimmapur denied the allegations and pledged to act against any officers found guilty of collecting bribes. However, he blamed the merchants partly and said: “The matter is that when these people (wine merchants) do something wrong, then they (officers) harass them. The wine merchants should rectify themselves.”
Leader of opposition R Ashoka said the excise department’s alleged corruption is part of a broader pattern under the Congress-led government. “The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association in its letter to CM Siddaramaiah has alleged that state excise minister R B Timmapur is involved in blatant extortion and bribery, unfolding another dark episode of the series of scams by ‘SCAM’gress Govt in Karnataka,” Ashoka wrote in an X post.
“The merchants have complained that Congress minister is taking bribes to approve transfers of officials, renew of licenses of liquor shops, and extorting hafta from liquor outlets,” he added.
He also alleged that the scheme was another “scam” under the Siddaramaiah administration.
“After the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation Scam, MUDA land scam, KIADB land scam, Waqf Scam, this liquor scam is yet another fresh addition to the series of scams by Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the last 17 months,” he added.