FLOP **** (News Rating Point) 25.04.2015
केरल के आबकारी मंत्री के बाबू एक बार फिर दस करोड़ के रिश्वत काण्ड की वजह से चर्चा में हैं… अदालत में दिए गए बयान के सार्वजनिक होने के बाद के. बाबू की जबरदस्त फजीहत हुई. अंग्रेज़ी अखबारों ने इस खबर को बड़ी तवज्जो के साथ छापा.
The bar bribery scandal is set to further rattle the Congress-led government in Kerala with Wednesday’s expose of a secret statement given by a bar baron before the court which said that the bar hotel owners association had paid Rs 10 crore to state Excise Minister K Babu. A senior Congress leader, Babu is one of the confidants of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The association working president Biju Ramesh had given the statement, as per the CrPC 164, before judicial first-class magistrate court in connection with the Vigilance probe into the case over claims of Finance Minister K M Mani taking bribes to renew bar hotel licences.
– The Indian Express
A secret statement of bar owner Biju Ramesh that has been secured by Manorama News revealed that Kerala Finacne Minister K.M. Mani had demanded a bribe of RS 5 crore in connection with issuance of licence to bar hotels. The demand was placed at a meeting of the bar owners, according to Biju. Rs 50 lakh was handed over to him at his house in Pala and the Rs 35 lakh was paid at his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram, the statement read. Excise Minister K. Babu had demanded Rs 10 crore and that was given to him, Biju Ramesh said in his statement.
– Manorama
The Kerala Lokayukta on Friday asked the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to conduct a probe into the latest revelation of the bar baron Biju Ramesh that bar hotel owners had paid Rs 10 crore to excise minister K Babu. The Lokayukta said the VACB should submit a progress report on its investigation by June 22.
– The Indian Express
The secret statement of Biju Ramesh, Kerala Bar Hotels Association working president, that an amount of Rs 10 crore was given as bribe for Minister K Babu, has been revealed.
– Kaumudi Online
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau will seek legal opinion on whether to arraign Excise Minister K Babu and Health Minister V S Sivakumar in the bar bribe case. The name of the Congress ministers cropped up after the sworn statement of Kerala Bar Hotels Association working president Biju Ramesh to the court was leaked to the media the other day.
– The New Indian Express
The Left opposition in Kerala on Thursday demanded that a case be registered against Excise Minister K. Babu following a new revelation by whistleblower bar owner Biju Ramesh that a sum of Rs 10 crore was paid to him as bribe.
– The Week
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has said that the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will take a decision on registering a case on the latest disclosure in the bar licence renewal bribery case that Excise Minister K. Babu had received Rs.10 crore from bar owners. The Minister said a decision on whether or not a separate case had to be registered in the wake of the disclosure of bar owner Biju Ramesh’s secret statement would be decided after examining the statement.
– The Hindu
