27,000 litre chemical containing spirit seized from Dera Bassi units
4 factory owners held; experts examining seized material
MOHALI : Cracking down on illicit liquor trade and smuggling in the state where 121 persons died after drinking hooch recently, the excise department on Sunday seized 27,600 litres of illicit chemicals with spirits from three industrial units in Dera Bassi, Mohali district. This is claimed to be the biggest seizure of its kind.
The excise and taxation department said in a press release that its special team from Mohali seized 27,600 litres of chemicals containing spirits stored in 136 drums of 200 litres each from three places in Dera Bassi.
The seizure was made in Devinagar village.
In raids in the Focal Point area, about 82 drums of 200 litres each were found at the Allychem Chemicals godown, (unit number E-68/69); 49 drums of 200 litres each at Om Solvi Trading (D-11) and seven drums also of 200 litres each at Pure Solutions (F-28).
Rajat Aggarwal, Punjab excise commissioner, said a case under section 61 ( 1) of the Punjab Excise Act had been registered. In-depth examination of the chemicals was being done with the help of the forensic team and modus operandi of those involved, and forward and back linkages were being probed.
The press note also disclosed that the four persons arrested in the case were AK Chaudhary and KP Singh, directors of Allychem Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Gaurav Chaudhary, proprietor of Om Solvi Trading Co and Jagmohan Arora, proprietor of Pure Solutions.
The raids were carried out after disclosures were made by three persons who were arrested after the excise department seized 5,300 litres of chemicals and spirits from Binny Chemicals in Dera Bassi.
It is reported that these firms used to supply the material to Binny Chemicals from where it was sold to the market.
During interrogations, those who were arrested revealed that they were disposing of waste from pharmaceutical companies. However, they couldn’t clearly spell out which products they were manufacturing and who their customers were.
Investigations are in progress to examine the record and to trace the links of the accused in the case.
Taking no chances, the excise department has also requested for help from the Forensic Science Laboratory experts to examine the chemicals.