Three persons arrested for illicit liquor trade

Jhansi: In a joint operation by Kotwali police and SWAT team, three persons were arrested for involvement in illicit liquor trade on Monday. Spurious liquor worth Rs 3 lakh was recovered from their hideout. However, four others managed to escape.
SSP Jhansi OP Singh said, acting on a tip-off the police caught a suspicious person with empty bottles of liquor near Mairi village on Kanpur Gwalior highway on Monday morning.
On interrogation, he revealed about their hideout. The police raided their hideout and caught two persons. Huge consignment of empty bottles, caps and labels of different IMFL brands along with bar codes. A huge quantity of raw chemicals used in making spurious liquor was also recovered.
The SSP said that the accused used to make spurious liquor with the help of chemicals and packed them in bottles with famous brand labels and were sold to various retail counters. Four more persons involved in the trade managed to escape, he said.
Those arrested have been identified as Manoj Kushwaha, Ravi Rai and Tarachand Rai. Jeewan Rai, Ramu Rai, Akash Rai and Pradip Rai all residing in Jhansi and Niwari are absconding and search for them has been launched.
A FIR has been lodged against all the accused under section 272, 420, 467, 468, 471, 34 IPC and section 60(2) UP Excise act.