Bootlegging in Patiala goes unabated despite 1,823 FIRS in 2 years

PATIALA : With the Majha region battling the hooch tragedy, authorities are eager to crackdown against the trade. In an instance of this, the Patiala Police recovered 7,420 litre of lahan (raw material used to distil illicit liquor) and registered 31 cases on Sunday. Over the past two years, the police had just recovered around 19,000 litre or an average of just 27 litre a day.

In these two years, the police have confiscated around 2 lakh liquor being smuggled from neighbouring states, around 10,000 litre of illicit liquor distilled illegally in ‘desi distilleries’, 19,000 litre of lahan, 14,600 litre of spirit and 4,800 litre of spurious liquor from the district. There have been around 1,700 arrests for illegal manufacturing and smuggling of liquor.

Despite the registration of 1,823 FIRS under the Excise Act in the past two years, the business of illegal distilling of liquor and smuggling of liquor from neighbouring Haryana and state capital Chandigarh continues unabated.

2 LAKH LITRE LAHAN SEIZED IN LUDHIANA

Police on Saturday recovered two lakh litre lahan and 55 litre spurious liquor in Ludhiana. They arrested Surjit Singh and Om Parkash of Villagr Rajapur while their accomplices escaped.