Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Faces Fresh Allegations of Fraud: Rs 700 Crore Corruption in Excise Department

Already under fire for the MUDA land scam, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is now embroiled in yet another corruption controversy. The Karnataka Wine Merchants Association has sent a letter to the Chief Minister Raj Bhavan and the Lokayukta, calling for action against alleged corruption involving the state Excise Minister and officials of the ministry. According to an email accessed by India Today, the association accuses Excise Minister RB Thimmapur and his office of unethical practices and extortion. The letter alleges that the minister accepted bribes to approve transfers of ministry officials, who in turn demanded money from liquor outlets. The association also alleges that CL7 bar licenses were issued for bribes ranging from Rs 30-70 lakh, leading to widespread illegal licensing. According to the association, nearly 1,000 illegal licenses were allegedly issued last year, totaling bribes amounting to an estimated Rs 300-700 million. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje of the BJP criticized the Prime Minister on social media platform As the pressure mounts, all eyes are focused on seeing whether Siddaramaiah will respond to these new allegations. India Today’s Sagay Raj brings the ground report from Bengaluru,