Book those directly involved for murder, Capt directs DGP
Promises justice for victims, says repeat offenders must remain behind the bars
CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday directed the director general of police (DGP) to book those directly involved in the hooch tragedy for murder.
Promising justice for the victims of the case, which he termed as the biggest tragedy of recent times, the CM also mooted enhancement of punishment for spurious/illicit liquor manufacturing and smuggling under the Excise Act, to ensure that repeat offenders remain behind the bars and are not able to come out easily to indulge again in the crime.
The CM’s directives on the hooch tragedy came during two separate video conferences – one of the cabinet meeting and the other a review meeting of the case with top police and administrative officials.
Amarinder also led his council of ministers in observing a 2-minute silence as a mark of homage to the victims of the tragedy.
Earlier, the CM gave strict directive to police and district officials during the review VC earlier, which was attended by DGP Dinkar Gupta and chief secretary Vini Mahajan, along with SSPs and DCs of the affected districts of Tarn Taran, Amritsar Rural and Gurdaspur, along with officials of the excise & taxation department.
He said the illicit liquor business had been going on in border areas for a long time with the use of lahan, but now it had assumed even more dangerous proportions with the new trend of smuggling from neighbouring states.
Asserting that he wanted “to see an end to whole business of spurious liquor” he directed the concerned officials to be strict in dealing with the criminals, whether men or women.
He set a 10-day deadline for the concerned DCs and police officers to process cases to provide additional relief for families.