Haryana Session: Anil Vij cites 36 hooch deaths in 6 years, Abhay Chautala 489

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, December 26

Haryana has registered 87,376 cases of illegal and spurious liquor in the past six years — from 2016 to December 15, 2022 – while 96,785 people have been arrested. These cases include the recovery of 42.41 lakh bottles of licit liquor and 3.42 lakh bottles of illicit liquor, and 395 breweries. Home Minister Anil Vij presented these facts during a discussion in the Assembly on a calling attention motion moved by INLD MLA Abhay Chautala, Congress MLA Neeraj Sharma and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu on deaths due to spurious and illicit liquor in the state.

In 2016, 16,284 cases were registered and 18,136 people were arrested for illegal and spurious liquor. Also, 3.63 lakh licit liquor bottles and 14,455 illicit liquor bottles were seized. In 2017, in 14,668 such cases, 16,233 people were arrested, while 8.84 lakh licit liquor bottles and 38,702 illicit liquor bottles were seized. The number came down in 2018 when 11,670 cases were registered and 15,265 people were nabbed. In 2019, there were 10,670 arrests in 10,477 cases and 8.28 lakh licit liquor bottles and 79,695 illicit liquor bottles were seized. In 2020, 10,688 cases were registered and 12,341 people were arrested. A total of 5.92 lakh licit liquor bottles and 84,712 illicit liquor bottles were seized. The year 2021 saw 10,528 cases and 10,753 arrests, while the seizure was 3.33 lakh licit liquor bottles and 64,695 illicit liquor bottles. The year 2022 saw a surge in cases. Till December 15, 13,387 people were arrested in 13,061 cases while 4.02 lakh licit liquor bottles and 35,462 illicit liquor bottles were seized.

In 2020, a special inquiry team was constituted to probe the theft of liquor from the recovered stock stored in a temporary warehouse on Kharkhoda-Matindoo Road, Sonepat. After the submission of the report regarding lapses on the part of the police and the Excise Department, the government sent the matter to the State Vigilance Bureau. Besides, a panel was also formed under ADGP Kala Ramchandran and a SIT under ADGP Shrikant Jadhav.

Vij told the House that according to the DGP (Vigilance), the statements of 209 liquor contractors, 111 officers or employees, 869 gazetted and non-gazetted officers of the Excise Department, and also of people related to 23 distilleries had been recorded so far. Under a Vigilance Bureau FIR, a fine of Rs 63.15 crore was also imposed. Vij told that a one-member committee comprising Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal had been constituted to study the reports of all previous three panels and the Vigilance Bureau report.

MLA quotes parliament data

• Home Minister Anil Vij tells House 36 died in the state due to spurious liquor in six years — two in 2016, 30 in 2020 and four in 2022
• Embarrassing moment for govt as Abhay Chautala reads out data submitted in Parliament which pointed out 489 deaths
• Vij tells the House he will fix responsibility in case the data is wrong

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