2,250 boxes of liquor seized in raids across Sonepat, six cases lodged

Mukesh Tandon

Sonepat, April 10

A day after the visit of Excise and Taxation Commissioner Ashok Kumar Meena, the joint team of the Excise Department and police launched a special campaign to crack the illegal liquor supply. The team conducted raids at five places on Tuesday night and seized 2,250 boxes of illicit liquor from various places. It is being suspected that the liquor was stored at these locations for supply during the General Election.

The approximate cost of the illicit liquor and vehicles recovered from unauthorised locations is Rs 45.75 lakh.

The police have registered six cases against liquor smugglers at four police stations — Kharkhoda, Gohana, Kundli and Sector 27 of Sonepat.

Commissioner Meena had visited Sonepat and Panipat on Monday and during meetings with the district officers, he called a “zero tolerance policy” for liquor smuggling during the elections.

Thereafter, on a tip-off, the joint team raided a house on the Delhi-Kharkhoda road near the KMP expressway and Pipli village and found a huge stock of liquor and beer. The house was reportedly owned by Dharmender of Mandothi in Jhajjar and Bhupender Dahiya of Sisana village. The team found a huge stock, including various brands of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), beer bottles and cans, expired liquor and open bottles of liquor from the godown. The police have registered a case against Dharmender and Bhupender under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 61 of the Excise Act and began a probe into the matter. As per sources, the liquor recovered from the illegal godown was only for sale in Arunachal Pradesh.

Apart from this, another joint team nabbed a car coming from the Gohana side on the Gohana-Jind road. During the search of the car, the team recovered 15 boxes of Indian made liquor and 25 boxes of Indian made liquor of half bottles (addhe) and a total cash of Rs 3.04 lakh was recovered from the car and the driver. The driver has been identified as Bijender of Naultha village of Panipat district. The police have registered a case against him.

Similarly, on a tip-off, another joint team laid a naka on the Basantpur road in the Kundli area and nabbed a van laden with illegal liquor and nabbed two persons, Kashmir Singh of Jhangola in Delhi and Krishan of Tiggipur. The team recovered a total of 75 bottles of liquor from the van. The liquor seized was manufactured at distilleries in Jahri of Sonepat, Derabassi in Punjab and Dharuhera of Haryana. The Kundli police have registered a case against the accused. Similarly, another joint team raided Jatola village in Kharkhoda area on Wednesday and seized 1,700 boxes of illegal liquor from an unauthorised premise there. Meanwhile, the police received a tip-off about illegal smuggling of liquor. The team laid a naka near the General Hospital and stopped two cars. They recovered 13,190 quarters of liquor in the boxes. The police team arrested the accused.

Narender Kaushik, DETC, said special joint teams had been formed to crack the illegal liquor nexus and a total of 2,250 boxes of illegal liquor were seized within 24 hours.

Seized liquor, vehicles worth over Rs 45 lakh

• The approximate cost of the illicit liquor and vehicles recovered from unauthorised locations is Rs 45.75 lakh
• The police have registered six cases against liquor smugglers at four police stations – Kharkhoda, Gohana, Kundli and Sector 27 of Sonepat
• Excise & Taxation Commissioner AK Meena had visited Sonepat and Panipat on Monday
• During meetings with officers, he called a ‘zero tolerance policy’ against liquor smuggling during the Lok Sabha elections