Duplicate caps of IMFL brand seized

Palampur, March 1

The local police today seized over 18,000 duplicate caps of a premium brand of India made foreign (IMF) liquor from a forest area near Palampur.

Official sources said that the Panchrukhi police received information this morning that six gunny bags containing duplicate caps of Royal Stag brand of liquor were lying in a forest near Andretta, 10 km from here. A police team reached the spot and impounded the gunny bags full of caps of Royal Stag brand of liquor. These caps were meant to be sold to fraudsters who blend duplicate liquor.

A senior police officer said that the duplicate Royal Stag bottle caps were probably manufactured in Chandigarh. Last month, the state police had unearthed a large quantity of illicit liquor, which claimed seven lives at Sundernagar in Mandi district.

He added it was mandatory for bars, hotels, permit rooms, clubs and other retail outlets to break the bottles of premium brands and single malt whiskey or deface the labels of empty bottles to prevent their misuse. However, the practice is not followed, leading to the sale of duplicate liquor in the market. Empty bottles, which are sold in the market, are reused by bootleggers to sell illicit liquor. Senior police officers, including the members of the SIT investigating the hooch tragedy, also visited the forest. The police have registered a case under the HP Excise Act. However, no arrest has been made so far.