Haryana probe report indicts 2 top officers

Bhartesh Singh Thakur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 6

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij today recommended action against Excise and Taxation Commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi and former Sonepat SP Pratiksha Godara after a special inquiry team formed to probe a liquor scam indicted them.

The minister also called for further investigation by the state Vigilance Bureau.

The probe panel was headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Power) TC Gupta with Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vijay Singh and Gurugram Commissioner of Police Mohd Akil its members. The scam involves theft of liquor during Covid lockdown from excise godowns in Kharkhoda. The godowns were located on the premises rented from the family members and a relative of alleged liquor smuggler Bhupinder Dahiya.

According to the probe report, Vidyarthi failed to provide information on inspection of the stocks of wholesale liquor licencees. The panel had to complain to the Home Department in one such case. It also said that Vidyarthi blocked their visit to NV Distillery based in Rajpura after its name cropped up in various cases.

On Godara, the panel said despite knowing Dahiya was an alleged liquor smuggler, she “provided him two gunmen and even recommended an arms licence to him”.

Asked why the confiscated liquor was kept in a godown when the premises was owned by Dahiya’s kin, Godara could only say “she was unaware of the ownership fact”.

Vidyarthi and Godara did not respond to phone calls, text messages and emails.