Hooch Tragedy: Spurious liquor was sold at vend under 'Malta' brand

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur and Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11

As the toll due to intake of spurious liquor in Yamunanagar and Ambala reached 18 today, police investigations have revealed that it was sold from an authorised liquor vend under a brand.

The liquor vendor in Yamunanagar allegedly had a nexus with spurious liquor suppliers.

“The seized bottles had the sticker of ‘Malta’ brand, with manufacturing in November 2021, not 2023,” said ADGP, Haryana State Enforcement Bureau, AS Chawla. He, along with SP Karan Goel, visited the location where the liquor was manufactured in Ambala.

The police had questioned officials of the distillery, Oasis Overseas Exports Pvt Ltd, which produced liquor under ‘Malta’ brand, and they, too, were concerned.

Sources said the accused got Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) from somewhere and carried out dilution and added flavour from a field at Dhanaura village in Ambala. The location, 100-150 m from the road, remained hidden from public view. The factory, unearthed on November 8, was being run by Kapil Pandit of Thambar village and Ankit of Ugala village of Ambala. “The real picture will emerge when the main accused are caught,” said Chawla, who had also talked to Excise and Taxation Commissioner AK Meena so that field units could be alerted.

“Some more labels and machines used to manufacture spurious liquor have been seized near Dhanaura village,” he added. Stickers of ‘Malta’ brand, depicting manufacturing in January 2022, had also been seized.

Ambala SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said, “Liquor testing kits, stickers, labels, bottling machine, etc., were seized from Ugala village during a raid today. Efforts are on to nab the prime accused Ankit. A special campaign against bootlegging has been launched and 23 cases have been registered.”

The DETC (Excise), Ambala, Deepa Chaudhary, said, “The department has been checking the stock of authorised vends and taking samples to ensure that no spurious liquor is supplied at the vends. The report of the samples will arrive next week. We are also educating people, especially labourers, not to purchase liquor from unauthorised vends and to report to the department if they come to know about such vends.”

Last night, 332 bottles, 192 half pints and over 200 nips of country-made liquor were seized from a vend at Barara.

Toll now 18, three more arrested

Yamunanagar: The toll in the hooch tragedy has risen to 18. Among those who have died, 16 were from Yamunanagar district and two from Ambala district.

Sources said five persons were still admitted to various hospitals.

The police said there were 12 deaths in Yamunanagar district until yesterday, but today, four fresh deaths were reported. The victims have been identified as Narinder Kumar of Mandebari village, Arun Kumar (36) of Panjeta Ka Majra village, Rishipal (45) of Manglaur village and Paramjeet Singh (48) of Saran village.

Police spokesman Chamkaur Singh said three more persons had been arrested today. The accused — Mohinder of Bharheri village (liquor contractor), Subhash of Saran village and Radhe of Saran village — would be produced before the Jagadhri district court tomorrow.

So far, 10 persons have been arrested, and seven of them are on police remand.

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