Bangalore: Lokayukta Court Orders Probe Against Renuka over Seized Liquor
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Mar 24: Yet another Karnataka Minister M P Renukacharya, a most vocal loyalist supporter of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and a Cabinet Minister for Excise, is under the dock with a Lokayukta Court ordering a probe against the minister for alleged violation of excise rules.
The Lokyukta Judge N K Sudhindra Rao ordered Lokayukta police to probe the statement made by Deputy Commissioner of Excise (Bangalore) Mohan Kumar that 16 bottles of expensive foreign liquor seized during a recent raid at the latter’s office were meant for Renukacharya.
Mohan Kumar had also told the Lokayukta police that the 24 litres of expensive foreign liquor in 16 bottles and the cash of Rs 25,000 seized during the raid at his office recently belonged to Renukacharya and were meant for supply for the legislators during the stay of the supporters of Yeddyurappa at the Golden Palm Resort in the city. The legislators were accommodated there at the behest of the former chief minister in his campaign for reinstatement.
The Excise Department Official had made the before the Lokayukta judge, when the former’s bail application came up for hearing on Saturday.
Declining bail, the Lokayukta judge remanded Mohan Kumar to judicial custody till March 26.
Under the Karnataka Excise Rules, an individual can store only six litres of liquor in his premises. It is, however, not clear if anybody can store liquor in office premises.
The Lokayukta probe against the Minister in charge of Excise for violation of the Excise Rules is bound to become embarrassing not just to Renukacharya but also to Yeddyurappa and the Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.
It may be recalled that Renukacharya has been going overboard in his support to Yeddyurappa that he even went to the extent of demanding Sadananda Gowda’s resignation and had to be finally asked by the BJP leadership to refrain from making such statements.