Jaunpur BJP leader's son arrested for running illegal liquor business

Shahira Naim
Tribune News Service
Lucknow, April 13

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Jaunpur police have arrested the son of a local BJP leader for illegally selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) from his house in the city during the lockdown.

Manik Sethi, son of former BJP municipal councillor Manish Sethi, was running an illegal liquor racket from their Punjabi Market residence in the heart of the city under Kotwali police station.

According to sources, a large stock of liquor was found in the house. For some time the illegal business had been flourishing, which received further impetus during the lockdown.

The neighbours had been complaining for some time but the local police did not pay attention. Their protest to the excise department did not also yield any result.

On Sunday, following the death of two persons from illicit liquor in Kanpur, the excise department finally woke up.

A joint team of the police and excise department raided the house of the BJP leader and red-handed caught the son along with a huge amount of liquor.

Until late night, the local police was attempting to bail out the son of the BJP leader, who has the reputation of being a muscleman. However, senior police officers sent him to jail.

Since the lockdown has been enforced, instances of illegal liquor being home-delivered have emerged from several districts. In Kanpur, two persons died after which the police has become alert and has been conducting raids.

In Firozabad, three persons have been arrested from a dhaba-cum-hotel under Sirsaganj police station where IMFL worth more than Rs 1 lakh and illicit locally brewed liquor in huge quantities was found.

The police have taken under custody three persons along with two cars and 10 motorcycles allegedly being used to home deliver the liquor.