Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao, shortly before being relieved from the post, submitted a report to the state government alleging corruption and the collection of bribes by two senior officials of the Excise Department, officials said on Saturday (November 7, 2026).

Source: The Hindu via Daily8

Mr Rao's report follows his transfer earlier this week: he was serving as Excise Commissioner and Special Secretary in the Electronics and Information Technology Department, and was transferred and posted as Special Secretary in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department amid a row over bar licences. The report was submitted to the government on Friday.

According to the report, S. Vinod, who served as Joint Excise Commissioner, allegedly maintained close links with the owner of a bar in Muvattupuzha and acted as a liaison for the establishment in matters related to its licence. An informant had alleged that Mr Vinod demanded a monthly payment of Rs 30,000 from the bar owner and had also received Rs 50,000 for securing approvals related to bar timings and licence extensions, the report claimed. These are allegations recorded in the report and have not been proved.

The report also flagged allegations against Ajay, the Deputy Excise Commissioner in Alappuzha. It identified the Muvattupuzha bar owner as Ratheesh and stated that he was known to Excise Minister M. Liju. The Hindu reported that the CPI(M) has alleged the Minister's involvement; no finding has been made against any of the persons named.

Mr Rao recommended that Mr Vinod and Mr Ajay be immediately removed from field postings and transferred to offices such as the Excise Crime Records Bureau or the Toddy Board. He also recommended a Vigilance inquiry into the allegations of bribe collection, monthly payments and disproportionate assets against the two officials under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The government has not yet announced a decision on the report's recommendations. The allegations remain subject to inquiry, and all the officials named are presumed innocent unless the claims are established through due process.