Illegal liquor distillery busted in Patiala, Cong sarpanch booked

PATIALA: An illegal distillery-cumliquor-bottling plant was busted in Ghanaur, Patiala, the home district of Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. A Congress sarpanch and an MLA’s aide have been booked.

Khanpur Khurd sarpanch Amrik Singh, who is also an aide of Congress MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur; and Dipesh Kumar of Rajpura, who is a confidant of Congress MLA Hardial Singh Kamboj have been booked after Thursday’s raid. Others named in the FIR are Harpreet Singh, Bacchi, and Amit Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh. Amrik’s wife is a zila parishad member, affiliated with the Congress.

Jalalpur admitted that he and MLA Kamboj and knew Dipesh but said they were unaware of his illegal dealings. The factory was raided after the matter came into the notice of top officials of the Punjab government.

NOT THE 1st INSTANCE

On April 22, another illegal liquor distillation plant had been raided in Bahomajra village of Khanna and five men arrested.

Then, authorities suspected this to be a Rs 500 crore illegal racket with police also seizing 1,857 cartons of illicit liquor along with machines, vehicles, and ₹5.8 lakh.

Patiala SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu said Shambu SHO sub-inspector Prem Singh had been suspended for failing to keep a check on the illegal manufacturing and sale of liquor. “A departmental inquiry has also been ordered,” the SSP added.

‘HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISTILLERY’

Jalalpur, a Congress MLA from Ghanaur, said, “It is true that

Amrik was a trusted aide but I have nothing to do with his illegal business. I was unaware that he was running an illegal distillery.”

“I have always condemned liquor smuggling and had asked officials to look into two factories in Patiala several times,” said the MLA.

1,000 CASES SOLD PER DAY

The distillery, which was being run in a cold store, was operating at full capacity since the lockdown.

The accused were bottling liquor in Royal Stag, Masti Malta,

Lajawab Sofia and Raseela Santra bottles, which are sought after liquor brands in the region.

The distillery was using ethyl alcohol (ENA), which is used to manufacture sanitisers. The accused were diluting the chemical to make liquor and were selling around 1,000 cases of liquor a day. ENA has around 70% liquor content, and becomes fit for consumption if it is diluted to 43%.

Authorities found bottling machinery, empty bottles, around 35 drums of ENA, holograms, labels of different brands and boxes. One person was arrested on the spot.

LIQUOR SOLD IN PUNJAB, HARYANA

The liquor was being sold in Punjab and Haryana. An excise official said the accused had made a significant profit.“As per a conservative estimate, the accused had earned Rs 100 crore, in the last five months. The setup suggests that had been operating for at least one year”, said an excise official, requesting anonymity.

A FIR under Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 471 , 188 (disobeying public official’s order) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections of the Excise Act, and section 5 of the Disaster Management Act has been registered against accused.

SAD SEEKS PROBE

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had sought an independent inquiry into, what it claimed was a Rs 100 crore illicit liquor manufacturing operation involving an illegal distillery-cum-bottling plant in Ghanaur.

It has also demanded the registration of a criminal complaint against Congress legislators Madan Lal Jalalpur and Hardyal Singh Kamboj.