Liquor was supplied to private persons, reveals police probe

Ravinder Saini

Rewari, February 13

Preliminary investigation by the special investigation team (SIT) in the illicit liquor trade at a closed school building case has revealed that the accused used to supply liquor to private persons of the nearby area for weddings and other parties. They had also provided the facility of home delivery. No evidence about selling the liquor to the shops has yet been found.

Illicit liquor trade at closed school building

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“The illicit trade was being run by three partners for the past some months. Two of the partners being – Somvir, alias Kalia, of Murlipur (Rewari) and Hem Singh, alias Bilku of Nilaheri village (Jhajjar)— have been nabbed while the third being — Pinki of Pota village (Mahendragarh) — is still absconding. Pinki is the kingpin of the illegal business, who used to bring liquor to Kosli from other places,” said Kosli DSP Jai Singh, chief of the SIT.

Acting on a tip-off, the Kosli police unearthed the illegal trade while conducting a raid at a building of a closed school in Kosli town on February 4. A total 1.15 lakh holograms and 1.18 lakh labels of prestigious brands, 3,452 empty bottles, 10,425 bottle caps, 2,895 cardboard boxes and 1,404 bottles of illicit liquor were recovered from there.

The police also arrested Somvir, one of the partners, from the spot and also recovered Rs 1.5 lakh and 10 boxes branded with Old Monk rum from his car. At that time, he was going to supply the liquor to private persons in the area. Holograms pasted on the liquor bottles were found to be fake when these were scanned through the QR code.

“As per preliminary investigation, Somvir and Hem Singh, used to receive orders for liquor from private persons. Later, they ensured home delivery of the liquor. The liquor was also supplied at weddings, birthdays and other parties. We inspected various liquor shops located in the area and checked their record with the help of excise officials but no evidence about the supply to these shops was found,” said the SIT chief. The DSP said raids were being conducted at possible hideouts of Pinki to arrest him as he was the only person who could disclose from where the liquor reached Kosli and who all were involved in the illegal trade. The investigation had found that the liquor was packed in empty bottles before labels and holograms of big brands were pasted at the school building, he added.

He said a Mahendragarh-based printing press owner, Gajendra, through whom the cardboard boxes were brought to Kosli from Delhi to pack the liquor bottles and the cardboard factory owner— Suman Jha of Darbhanga (Bihar)— had also been arrested in the case.

“Efforts are on to nab the printing press owner who used to print fake labels and holograms of big liquor brands,” the DSP added.

No evidence it was sold to shops

The accused sold liquor for weddings and other parties in the nearby area. They had also provided the facility of home delivery. No evidence about selling the liquor to the shops has yet been found.