Wine shop owners allege harassment by Excise cops in Mahabubnagar

Mahbubnagar: Wine shop owners have alleged that the Excise department in Mahabubnagar district is one of the most corrupt departments. According to them, the Excise official take bribes in lakhs in return to no cases booked against the violations by the wine shops. 

Giving out information to media, Raghavender, a wine shop owner from Mahabubnagar, said the Excise circle inspector had taken away two cartons of wine from his shop and when asked for payment, the excise circle inspector said to have asked the shop owner to deduct the money from the ‘Maamul’ that they owe to the police. 

“The wine shop owners have formed a syndicate and to see that the police do not book cases against them they are paying bribe to the Excise department officials,”he said. “Recently, when an Excise police officer after taking away two cases of wine from my shop, I asked him to pay Rs. 24,000 for the wine that he had taken, the circle inspector had bad mouthed me and later called me threatening to take stringent action and see that my shop will shut,” he said.  

“The police are resorting to threatening and from then onwards they have booked 3 cases against my shop. The police along with some media persons colluding together are harassing me and blackmailing me,” Raghavender added. 

The victim has already approached the District Collector and is also planning to complaint against the Excise department officials to the Excise Commissioner in Hyderabad. The District Collector has already initiated an enquiry in the matter and has assured that those involved in the wrong doings will be taken to task.