Locals, excise officials clash over illicit liquor seizure

ALTERCATION 3 excise department employees among seven injured in Batala

The Navi Abadi Umarpura, 2km from here, residents reportedly attacked the excise team officials who had come to conduct a raid on a liquor vendor Friday.

During the clash in Batala, three excise department employees were among the seven injured.

Four residents including a woman were also injured. All the injured were rushed to civil hospital Batala.

Excise inspector Raman Kumar said after getting a tipoff that one Hera Singh of Umarpura was selling illicit liquor from his residence, he along with the employees of liquor contractor raided at his house.

Reportedly during the search operations few residents started misbehaving with the officials. “They threatened us and asked us to leave. But when we resisted, the locals attacked us,” said Kumar.

The three injured excise department employees are Amarjeet Singh, Jasveer Singh and Nirmal Singh.

The residents also broke the windscreen of three vehicles owned by excise department and the liquor contractor. Meanwhile one of the injured Charanjeet Kaur alleged that the raid was conducted by henchmen of liquor contractor. “They ransacked all the houses and misbehaved with some of the women present in the houses,” said Kaur.

“We sat in front of their vehicles and raised slogans against their high-handedness. They attacked us with sharp edged weapons” claimed Charanjeet Kaur.

SHO Civil Lines police station Amolakh Singh said, “Both the parties have not lodged any formal complaint yet.”

“Teams have been sent to civil hospital to record the statements of injured.But both the parties have not given any statement so far. We will take action against the guilty only after recording their statements,” SHO said.

It is to be noted that it is the third such incident in the last one and a half month.

Earlier on June 15, a police constable was roughed by liquor smugglers at village Cheema Khudi under Shri Hargobindpur.

On June 4, an excise team was attacked by liquor smugglers after they were caught red handed by excise officials at Manoharpur village.

Police teams have been sent to civil hospital for investigation. But both the parties have not filed any complaint. We will take action against the guilty only after recording their statements. AMOLAKH SINGH, station house officer Civil Lines