Sources in the ED revealed that the probe was necessary because Punjab Police was allegedly under pressure of local politicians. (File photo)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Jalandhar has registered Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in the recent hooch tragedy and the illegal liquor trade in Punjab.

With the registration of the ECIR, the ED will probe all the FIR’s registered in the illegal liquor scam, which occurred during the lockdown period, and the hooch tragedy which killed over 100 in three districts of Punjab. The agency will then present its chargesheet in court.

The ECIR is based on the 13 FIRs, which were registered by the Punjab Police in Patiala and other districts related to illegal liquor scam, and a hooch tragedy case registered by police in Tarn Taran.

The agency had earlier written letters to the SSPs of the districts where 13 FIRs were registered to provide case details.

Sources said that ED has started its investigation into the raw material used to make liquor resulting in hooch tragedy, illegal distilleries, inter-state liquor smuggling, source of raw material used for making illegal liquor, running of the illegal liquor factories with a motive to save taxes.

A senior officer in ED said that Thursday’s development means that they are now probing all cases registered in illegal liquor scam and hooch tragedy and will file a chargesheet in the court against the culprits and may initiate the process of attachment of the properties of accused.

Sources in the ED revealed that the probe was necessary because Punjab Police was allegedly under pressure of local politicians, and even role of Excise Department officials, who are politically well-connected, was under scanner.