'Framing enemies as culprits', High Court to examine five years of Abkari cases

KOCHI: The High Court has ruled that excise officials can press charges on anyone in an abkari case whom they have enemity against using bottle and a small amount of fake liquor. The High Court also directed the government to appoint a person to enquire the arrests and investigation of excise officials in the last five years in abkari cases.

Justice PV Unnikrishnan has ordered for Rs 2.5 lakh compensation to AB Anilkumar and R Prakash in a forgery case and suggested that the amount should be recovered from the guilty excise officers.

The action was taken on petitions seeking compensation. The Chief Secretary shall submit a report within six months outlining the action taken on the proposals. The government should examine in detail the method of investigation of excise. If necessary, the excise law should be amended.

The High Court said that the script was the same in all abkari cases. When the Excise Party arrives in a jeep, someone on the way comes with a can. The person sighs and tries to escape. The excise gets suspicious and arrests the person and then captures the liquor. This is why it has ordered to investigate the five-year proceedings.