Hyderabad:
Three journalists, who hold key positions in three regional TV news channels, and more than five so called reporters working for local newspapers, are alleged to be aiding liquor dealers. According to sources, the three journalists, who are in key positions in Andhra and Telangana regions, are directly involved in forging a nexus between excise officials and liquor dealers and helping the latter obtain licences and favours from the government.
A day after the AntiCorruption Bureau officials had arrested two excise policemen for accepting bribes from liquor dealers, excise department suspended the two employees and transferred one DSPrank officer on Saturday. The officer was asked to report to the DGP forthwith.
PV Sunil Kumar, director of enforcement, prohibition and excise, told Express that they transferred DSP Balakanth Reddy and suspended special task force inspector of excise K Siva Prasad and excise subinspector Ch. Balanarasimha. ``We transferred DSP Balakantha Reddy for being responsible as head of the team. H failed to curb corruption. The department suspended the other two officers for taking bribe from dealers directly,'' he added.
Following the arrests, the ACB conducted raids on wine dealers and shops, and excise officers in Telangana and coastal Andhra districts. Documents seized in the raids revealed that bribes were paid to ministers, local legislators, police and legal metrology officials and even journalists besides, of course, excise officials. Sources said the excise department formed a team of senior officials to look into journalist's involvement in the case and to track the past record and the income sources of those journalists.