Barmer emerging as hub of illegal liquor for dry Gujarat
ALARMING Data from Barmer police and excise department shows illegal liquor worth ~10 crore was seized in 2018 alone
BARMER: The border town of Barmer has emerged as the hub of illegal liquor in recent past with the police and excise department making a record seizure worth ~10 crore in 2018 and worth ~2.6 crore in less than two months of 2019, according to official data.
Police said Gujarat is a dry state but liquor is illegally sold there. Barmer, because of its border with Gujarat, serves as the conduit for supply of illegal liquor smuggled into Rajasthan from Punjab through Ganganagar and Hanumangarh districts. Liquor is supplied to Gujarat through the Barmer-sanchore route, police added.
Data from Barmer police and excise department shows illegal liquor worth ~10 crore was seized in 2018 alone, after police registered 518 cases, which is 50% more than those registered in 2015 (see graphic).
Police seized illegal liquor worth ~6 crore in 2018, and the excise department’s seizure was worth ~ crore from 32 cases of smuggling.
I n 2019, i n l ess t han t wo months, police have seized three consignments of smuggled liquor. On February 4, two people were arrested with 1,325 cartons of liquor made in Haryana.
The accused told the police that they got the consignment from Ambala and were heading to supply it in Gujarat.
Barmer police have launched a special drive against illegal liquor in view of forthcoming Lok Sabha election.
Superintendent of police Rashi Dogra Dudi said Barmer has emerged as a hub of liquor smuggling in last few years.
“We have input that smuggling and consumption of liquor will increase during the election. Keeping this in mind, we have launched a special drive against this,” she added.
The SP said this was the time when illegal liquor mafia tries to fill their stocks.
“This is the best time to launch the drive; if they are able to store liquor now, there will be no point to have a drive against illegal liquor,” she said. 2015 2016 February 5: Kalyanpura police seized 1325 cartoons of liquor worth ~60 lakh and arrested two accused, Hanumangarh’s Buta Singh and Abohar’s Raju Dhanka
January 30: Dhorimanna police 2017 2018 seized 945 cartons of liquor worth Rs 50 lakh and arrested Ganganagar’s truck driver Rajendra Singh
January 28: Gudamalani police seized 945 cartoons of liquor worth ~50 lakh.
Police said all the three consignments were headed for Gujarat JAIPUR: Olympian woman trap shooter from Jaipur, Ms. Shagun Chowdhary won the finals on Friday in the Shotgun (Trap) Selection Trial 3 being held at the Oases Shooting Range in Jaipur. Shagun scored an aggregate of 335.6 followed by Rajeshwari Kumari with 330.3 and Varsha Varman with 328.25. She won the earlier two trials also. The competi t i on was organised by National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
Shagun has now qualified to represent India in the forthcoming 3 World Cups in Mexico, UAE and South Korea which all have quota places for the next Olympics in 2020. An elated Shagun expressed her satisfaction on qualifying for the World Cups and said that she hoped to represent the country in Olympics again. Shagun was the Bronze medallist in the Nationals held at the Oases Ranges in 2018. She is also the only Indian woman Shotgun Shooter to have represented India in the Olympics till date. HTC
SHAGUN CHOWDHARY WON THE FINALS IN THE SHOTGUN (TRAP) SELECTION TRIAL 3