The DC said that the joint teams of Excise and Police department were making surprise checkings at vulnerable points. (Representational)
The district administration woke up from a slumber on Saturday, when Deputy Commissioner (DC) Girish Dayalan directed the Excise department to carry out surprise checks on dhabas located on the main roads.
After the DC’s directions, the district Excise department’s team initiated a drive to apprehend such illegal activities.
The DC said that the joint teams of Excise and Police department were making surprise checkings at vulnerable points. He added that checking of dhabas in the areas of Banur, Zirakpur and Derabassi was increased as such illegal activities have been reported more often in these areas in the past.
“Mohali has a unique position as it borders Chandigarh and Haryana, where liquor is comparatively cheaper. So, manufacturing of illicit liquor or lahan is not the main problem in the district but smuggling, pilferage of illicit spirit and Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) the primary raw material for making alcoholic beverages, is a menace that needs to be curbed,” the DC said. He added that owners of distilleries and bottling plants were directed to follow the excise laws, in a meeting.
The DC added that as many as 117 cases have been registered under the Excise Act and 131 accused have been arrested in the past seven months. As much as 72,700 liters of illicit spirit/ENA has been seized in a span of less 12 months.
The DC said that the Excise department had recovered the liquor from dhabas. He added that in May, a history-sheeter liquor smuggler was caught and more than 50,000 litres of ENA was seized from two tankers parked in Zirakpur.
The content was being transferred from the tankers to plastic drums when the team raided them.
The lead was received from Kumar Vaishnu Dhaba and the recovery was made at Guru Nanak Dharam Kanda, Zirakpur. Similarly, 15 drums of ENA (3000 litre) were seized from Apna Dhaba in April.
Two accused in liquor store firing arrested
Panchkula Police Saturday arrested two men who were allegedly involved in the firing incident that took place outside a liquor store on Friday. The two were presented in court and have been sent to judicial custody.
The accused have been identified as Krishan Patel and Subhash, residents of Manimajra, who too were buying liquor at the store where the incident took place. While Kishan is a pan seller operating out of a kiosk outside the liquor store, Subhash is a security guard and had the gun in his possession.
The incident left one man injured. The victim, identified as Satpal (30) is a resident of Abdullapur in Pinjore was on his way back from Mohali with three friends. The group decided to stop at a liquor store on the Panchkula-Manimajra border on Mansa Devi road. When Satpal stepped out of their car, a bullet’s shell, that was fired on the ground, hit him on the leg. The victim was rushed to the Panchkula civil hospital. Police officers including Inspectors of both Manimajra as well as Mansa Devi Complex reached the spot.
“The pistol used was a .12 bore. The case has been registered under Section 307 of the IPC and sections of the Arms Act, as one gave his licensed gun to another. We had arrested both the accused by Friday midnight and presented them in court today,” said SHO MDC Police Station, Inspector Yashdeep Singh.
Subhash, an ex-serviceman, had handed over his loaded weapon to Kishan before going to get liquor when Kishan fired gunshots. The CCTV footage from the camera at the liquor vend which showed Kishen firing the gun after which the two fled the spot. ENS