Rajpura-a hub of illegal liquor business; no lesson learnt from past recoveries
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Patiala
Once again Rajpura, an industrial town and gate way of Punjab is in limelight, these days, for illegal liquor business. As per the police officials, majha hooch tragedy have link with Rajpura, in which around 86 people from Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Batala (in Gurdaspur district) died.
Exactly a year ago, in August 2019, Patiala police along with the state excise department officials had busted a fake liquor manufacturing unit in Rajpura and seized large quantities of raw material that were allegedly being used to make the fake liquor. The joint team of Police and excise, also busted two illegal spirit storage units in Banur. In the raid, the teams recovered 370 boxes of illegal liquor, 78 barrels of ENA (extra neutral alcohol 14,200 litre), few empty bottles and labels. Teams raided the units located near Zilmil Dhaba and Patiala Dhaba in Banur .At that time, Gurchain Singh Dhanoa, AIG (excise), said that “this is one of the biggest recoveries so far.”
Again, in May, 13, this year an illegal distillery-cum-liquor-bottling plant, was unearthed at Ghanaur , in Rajpura area in Patiala district for selling illicit liquor under the guise of popular brands, during nation’s lockdown period. The accused, which were operating the distillery from a cold store, were making liquor by diluting extra neutral alcohol (ENA) and were selling around 1,000 cases of liquor a day. At the time of raid Police found bottling machinery, empty bottles, drums of ethyl alcohol (ENA), holograms, labels of different brands and boxes.
Rajpura-a hub of illegal liquor business; no lesson learnt from past recoveries.Once again Patiala police raided at various places in Rajpura and Shambhu and arrested some persons. The raiding parties have also seized large quantities of Lahan from various villages and dhabas in the region around Shambhu border, Rajpura and Patiala, adding that the raids had exposed a massive racket in illicit liquor, extending across several districts. The dhabas, identified as Zilmil Dhaba, Green Dhaba, Chhinda Dhaba on Shambhu, and Banur and Rajpura in Patiala, have been sealed. As much as 750 litres of Lahan had been seized from village Baghaura from where two persons, Satnam and Rashem, had been arrested.
“A mafia mastermind, a woman kingpin, a transport owner, a wanted criminal and owners/managers of various dhabas from where the illicit liquor was being supplied are among the arrested accused”, disclosed DGP Dinkar Gupta.
“Prem Singh, the owner of Azad Transport, and Bhinda (wanted by Tarn Taran Police) were arrested by Rajpura police in raids conducted yesterday.In the raid at Jhilmil dhaba, whose manager Narinder Singh have been arrested, 200 liters of Lahan was seized. The dhaba owner Harjit Singh has been named in the FIR. At Green Dhaba, Rajpura Chandigarh Road PS Zirakpur, approximately 200 liters of Diesel like liquid was recovered in 4/5 small containers, which truck drivers were selling to the dhaba owner. The dhaba has also been sealed and its owner Gurjant Singh has been arrested. One Narinder Singh, the owner of Multani Dhaba, has also been arrested in the case, said the DGP.
Describing the modus operandi of the accused, the DGP said the trucks carrying spirit would be stopped at 6-7 identified Dhaba and the Dhaba owners collected the hooch from truck drivers and sold it to one Bhinda, r/o Pipla road, Rajpura, who was also accused in Rajpura factory case and Bittu of a village near Banur. The spirit was being supplied by these people to Amritsar and surrounding areas.
According to the Excise Commissioner, though reports of the chemical analysis of the material seized in yesterday’s raids were yet to come, a superficial check showed that the material was Denatured Spirit, generally used in paint/hardware industry.
Rajpura-a hub of illegal liquor business; no lesson learnt from past recoveries.A resident said” how is it possible for anyone, without the support of a politician. Yesterday chief minister suspended excise and police officials. But, now common man is watching, what the action chief minister is going to take against the politicians, under whose patronage (who so ever it is), this is going on, as without their knowledge, this is not possible to operate, such an illegal business to such a large extent. ”
August,2,2020
