Punjab: Role of dhabas on highways not new in illicit liquor business

PATIALA: Investigations into the Punjab hooch tragedy has again brought into focus the role of the dabhas in sale of illicit liquor on highways at Shambhu, Banur and Rajpura areas ofPatiala, which have repeatedly come on the radar of the enforcers, but have managed to evade the law.
Inquiries by the TOI revealed that every time cops busted a supply chain of illicit liquor, the role of one or the other dabha, including the ones which were sealed on Saturday, have been investigated. While, in some cases, the dabhas have been named directly in the FIRs, the fear of law has hardly proved to be a deterrent for owners, whose lure for hefty profits have made them stick with the illegal practice.
So far, police have sealed three dabhas — including Zilmil at Shambhu, Green at Banur and Chhinda at Rajpura in Patiala district. TOI discovered that every time an illicit liquor racket was busted, the investigators ‘looked into’ the role of dabhas. A senior official in police department said due to their location, these dabhas provide a perfect place to carry out the illegal practice. As these are located on highways, tankers parked outside hardly draw any attention. In some cases, it was found dabha owners had close links with some influential politicians, cutting across party lines, which made it difficult for law enforcers to initiate action.
The official, who has overseen several investigations into the illicit liquor trade, said instead of working under one kingpin, those involved worked as separate entities and were linked to each other for profit that comes with illicit liquor. Sometimes politicians provide a linkage between them, he said.
The enforcement director has already been looking into FIRs registered previously into the illicit liquor trade. A senior official of ED said, “Since the state police are not co-operating with us, we have started collecting FIRs. So far, several such cases have been found. We are waiting for a go-ahead to register an enforcement case information report (ECIR) to proceed further in the matter”.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal has again come out strongly against the reluctance of the state government in sharing the details of the FIRs with the ED. SAD senior vice-president and former MP Prem Singh Chandimajra, who called a presser in Patiala on Sunday, said, “Had the ED been allowed to further investigate into illegal manufacturing units busted in May at Khanna and Shambhu this year, it could have prevented the Punjab hooch tragedy.”