The Kerala government today dismissed as false allegations of corruption levelled by bar owners against the state Finance Minister K M Mani over reopening closed bars and ruled out any probe into the matter.   

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the charges were "totally baseless" after the working president of Kerala Bar Owners Association and a bar owner Biju Ramesh alleged in a section of the media that Mani had taken Rs 1 crore and demanded Rs 5 crore to reopen 418 closed bars.   

"I am very sure that the allegation is totally baseless and so there is no need for any probe. I am fully confidentab out this", Chandy said.   

Chandy termed the charges against Mani as "unfortunate" and said people would not believe this kind of charge against the minister, whose political life "is an open book and not behind an iron curtain." 

He denied the charge of Ramesh that he had raised the issue of some of his cabinet colleagues demanding bribe during a meeting with him and asserted that no such meeting had taken place and that he had also not met the person concerned.