Fake sanitiser: Kala Amb police's closure report 'erroneous', alleges Excise Department

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, December 26

Taking a serious view of the closure report filed by the Kala Amb police in the fake sanitiser supply case, officials of the State Taxes and Excise Department (STED) have objected to the report, terming it “haphazard action” by the police by “overlooking” facts.

A STED team had detected fake e-way bills pertaining to the sale of sanitiser to the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in Dharamsala and the Paprola-based Rajiv Gandhi Ayush Medical College by Dutch Formulations and its sister concern at Ambala in February this year. Neither the CMO office nor the Paprola college had ordered any such stock.

In the garb of sanitisers, illegal extra neutral alcohol (ENA) was sold to a liquor bottling plant at Jogindernagar in Mandi district. The plant was involved in a hooch tragedy that claimed several lives earlier this year. The ENA is used to manufacture alcohol. A case of cheating and forgery was registered against the firm on February 25 at Kala Amb after receipt of a complaint from STED officials. Commissioner (STED) Yunus wrote to the Superintendent of Police, Sirmaur, on December 7, demanding action against the investigating officer (IO) as inconsistencies have been detected in the CR. Though as per police report, the accused had prepared the forged e-way bills, the report concluded that no irregularities had been reported by the STED staff.

This was sternly objected to by the Commissioner (STED), who observed that their staff should have been associated with the police inquiry.

“Since the IO has concluded that forged e-way bills were made, the offence under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC for cheating and forgery is prima facie made out. Instead of investigating these aspects further, the IO chose to take the plea that the offence of preparing the forged bills was outside the jurisdiction of Kala Amb,” the STED officials claimed.

The closure report, filed in September, is also silent on whether any witness from STED was associated with the inquiry. The Commissioner has sought suitable action against the defaulting official.

Dutch Formulations neither possessed a licence to manufacture sanitisers nor was any stock found at the company’s site. Inward supply of Rs 8.06 crore was made in 2020-21 and 2021-22, while outward sale of Rs 4.77 crore was detected during the same period, reflecting a gap of Rs 3.29 crore.

ENA sold in garb of sanitiser

• Fake e-way bills pertaining to the sale of sanitiser by Dutch Formulations detected
• Neither the CMO office in Dharamsala nor Paprola college had ordered any such stock
• In the garb of sanitiser, illegal extra neutral alcohol (ENA) was sold to a liquor bottling plant at Jogindernagar
• The plant was involved in a hooch tragedy that claimed several lives earlier this year