5,500-litre illicit spirit seized in Devinagar village

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 24

The Excise Department got a major breakthrough when its officials seized the biggest ever cache of 5,500 litres of illicit spirit during a raid on Thursday evening.

A spokesperson of the Excise and Taxation Department said a special team from Mohali seized 5,500 litres of spirit stored in 26 drums of 200 litres capacity each and six drums of 50 litres capacity each. The spirit was seized during raid at godown of M/s Binni Chemicals in Devinagar village in Dera Bassi tehsil, the spokesperson added. A Mahindra Bolero Jeep was also impounded, the spokesperson said.

Godown owner Rajesh Kumar, alias Bobby, of Sector 2, Panchkula, was neither able to produce any document regarding spirit nor did he possess licence for its storage and sale, the spokesperson added.

“The Dera Bassi SDM has been asked to initiate necessary action in this regard,” the spokesperson said.

The owner and two labourers identifed as Mahesh Kumar of Pokhroha and Ajay Kumar of Chakaiyya village in Bihar were arrested from the spot, the spokesperson added. A case under Section 61, 1 and 14 of the Punjab Excise Act was registered against the suspects at the Dera Bassi police station, the spokesperson said.

During interrogation, Rajesh confessed that he started sale of spirit during the lockdown period, the spokesperson added. The suspect was also selling spirit to manufacturers of sanitiser, the spokesperson said. Probe was on to trace links of the suspects, the spokesperson added.