The Anti-Corruption Bureau has asked for the state government’s goahead for prosecution of 90 officials of various ranks in police, revenue and excise departments in connection with the liquor scam.
Never before has the state ACB asked for so many government officials to be prosecuted in a scam. The liquor scam unearthed by the ACB had shook the state bureaucracy as topranking officials like assistant commissioners of excise, deputy superintendents of police and former collectors were named as accused in the case for allegedly receiving bribes from the liquor mafia or for allowing irregularities in liquor shop auctions.
In 25 of the 40 cases, the ACB has written to the state government asking various departments, such as revenue, police and excise, for prosecution of 90 officials and tribunal proceedings, commissioner of inquiry and departmental action against the other accused bureaucrats.
Chargesheets have already been filed against the accused under Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy.
Sources said that names of politicians and media men were left out of the chargesheets as there was no concrete evidence against them.
The accused officials allegedly connived with the liquor syndicate members and allowed below-povertyline white card holders to fraudulently take part in the bidding process and get the shops.
The ACB had arrested the officials based on the records of bribes that were found in liquor syndicate offices across the state.
Sources, however, pointed out that many of these accused are out on bail and their suspensions too have been lifted.
ACB sources, meanwhile, said that the records found in the liquor syndicate offices were key evidences, apart from the statements of witnesses. The records were sent to the document examination wing of the forensic laboratory where the hand-writings of the accused would be tallied with specimens.
Investigations suggest that most of the accused liquor shop owners had benami or proxy owners acting as fronts for politicians and liquor dons.
No proof against politicians, scribes Names of politicians and mediapersons were left out in chargesheets as there was no con crete evidence against them.
The accused have been booked under Prevention of Corruption Act and for criminal conspiracy.