Ex-Keralam Excise Commissioner flags corruption, bribery in report to govt; CPI(M) alleges Minister’s involvement

Thiruvananthapuram Former Keralam Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao, shortly before being relieved from the post, had submitted a report to the State government alleging corruption and collection of bribes by two senior officials of the Excise Department, officials said on Saturday (November 7, 2026). Keralam Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao shifted amid differences with Minister over bar licence storyline 1 Mr. Rao, who was serving as Excise Commissioner and Special Secretary in the Electronics and Information Technology Department, was transferred and posted as Special Secretary in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department.

In the report submitted to the government on Friday, Mr. Rao also mentioned that Excise Minister M. Liju was acquainted with one of the bar owners allegedly involved in the transactions.

According to the report, S. Vinod, who served as Joint Excise Commissioner (JEC), 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.