The Tribune, February 3, 2002

Sonepat main hub of smuggled liquor
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, February 2
Smuggling of liquor has been on the rise in the city and other parts of the district for the past few months, thanks to the “failure” of Excise Department authorities. Representatives of various political parties, social and voluntary organisations today urged the state government to order a high-level probe into the complaints about the smuggling of liquor and to transfer officials of the Excise Department who are said to be involved in the racket. Such an inquiry is likely to expose the misdeeds of the officials of the Excise Department and liquor mafia, they said.

According to a report, the smuggling of liquor has been causing a huge financial loss to the state exchequer. It is alleged that the district has become one of the main hubs where smuggled liquor from neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh comes. While a large quantity of liquor in pouches is consumed in the district itself, a good quantity gets smuggled across the national Capital and neighbouring towns. Although the district police have seized illicit liquor from time to time, it is reported that smugglers behind such activities have links with politicians, officials of the Excise Department and the police.

Some policemen and officials of the department allegedly have direct links with prominent smugglers and are learnt to be on their monthly rolls. The nexus became strong after the imposition of prohibition in the state in 1996. It is alleged that although the police and Excise Department officials have information about smuggling of liquor, no action has been taken against the culprits.

It is reported that pouches of liquor are easily available at shops and vends in both urban and rural areas. Each pouch contains 250 ml of liquor and is normally sold at Rs 10 to Rs 15. Illegal liquor sales continues unabated at dhabas, restaurants and hotels on the G.T. Road and other state highways passing through the district where liquor is served to the visiting customers on demand. Most of the customers are truck drivers and long-distant travellers. Even after the state government sent a message to all the district and police authorities to crack down on illegal liquor vends and bootleggers operating from the villages, they still manage to do brisk business. Many people who buy liquor from the roadside dhabas, hotels and restaurants said that they get the liquor pouches from under the very nose of Excise Department officials and the police at a higher price.

Illicit liquor is also freely available in several villages where liquor pouches are the main source of livelihood for many people there, including shopkeepers. Some panwallas used to stock liquor pouches, which are generally good quality liquor. But following police raids, many shopkeepers appear to have discontinued the practice.

During the past year, the police had seized thousands of bottles of country-made liquor, liquor pouches and English wine worth several lakhs of rupees and challaned hundreds of people under the Excise Act. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, claims that strict orders have been given to each of the police stations in the district to check the smuggling activities.

According to informed sources, certain officials of the Excise Department are in league with the mafia engaged in the liquor smuggling and its sale. The gangs bring the liquor from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and sell it in the city and elsewhere in the district in connivance with some officials of the Excise Department and the police.