Crime due to liquor mafia war, two held

LUCKNOW: Fight for supremacy among bootleggers emerged as the reason behind the killing of the city-based liquor smuggler, Vinod Singh, 45. Singh was shot dead by unknown assailants in the crowded market of Sarojininagar on July 22. Police said two liquor smugglers from Panipat, Haryana and their associate from Hardoi UP had hatched the murder conspiracy.

The UP Special Task Force (STF) and Lucknow police arrested the two contract killers who had been hired to execute the murder. However, the bootleggers are still at large.

SSP Lucknow, Deepak Kumar, said the shooters were identified as Azam Malik of Shamli and his associate, Heera Yadav of Varanasi. “The duo was staying at Heera Yadav’s rented house at Hasanganj’s Babuganj locality here,” he said.

The shooters confessed that notorious Haryana-based liquor mafia Dharamraj Saini and Rakesh alias Kaale had hired them to eliminate Singh. “The shooters were given ₹ 2 lakh and a firearm to execute the crime,” said the SSP. The bootleggers took the help of Hardoi-based liquor smuggler, Sarvendra Mishra, to help the shooters identify Singh and conduct a recee of his movements. “Mishra gave the shooters a 32-bore pistol that was used in the crime,” said the SSP.

The help of STF was sought as the matter was related to both UP and Haryana.

Deputy SP (STF), Alok Singh, told HT, “The Haryana smugglers hatched the conspiracy as Singh was badly denting their market in UP. Several liquor consignments sent by Haryana bootleggers to smugglers in UP were caught by the police, and they suspected Singh’s role in it.”

The deputy SP said that a consignment of 510 liquor cartoons meant for Singh was recently seized in Banthra. “The Haryana smugglers and their network reportedly tipped off the police. But, they feared that the supremacy war would escalate, and Singh and his associates would also target them.”

STF inspector Vinay Gautam said the police recovered the murder weapon and ₹ 1.04 lakh of the contract money from the shooters. “Raids are been carried out to arrest the bootleggers and their associate. Their arrest may expose a wide network of illegal liquor trade,” he said.