1,200 litres of hooch seized from drain in Patiala's Hajipur village

Hidden in a sewage drain on the banks of a village pond and stored in jars buried in five-ft-deep pits, over 1,200 litres of 'lahan', distilled and almost ready for sale, were recovered by excise officials. The officials informed the local police, and over 50 personnel cordoned off the village while conducting raids to make further recoveries.

Following intense pressure from the state government after the hooch tragedy in Amritsar’s Majitsa, excise and police teams confiscated over 1,200 litres of illegally brewed hooch from drains and abandoned fields in village Hajipur. “The raid is ongoing, and our teams are searching the entire village and nearby water bodies since the hooch smugglers had stored the liquor in jars and thrown them into drains or deep pits,” said Patiala Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer (Excise) Rajesh Aery.

By the time the report was filed, around 35 sealed plastic jars had been recovered from the drain and abandoned fields. “I have sought an explanation from the concerned SHO, who is accompanying the raiding party,” said Patiala SSP Varun Sharma. “No laxity will be tolerated in cases involving drugs and illicit liquor, and strict action will be taken,” he added.

Local villagers claimed that the village has many smugglers involved in selling spurious liquor in Sanaur, and there are few complaints against them because they are “connected”. “This recovery is just the tip of the iceberg, as these smugglers continue to sell illicit liquor daily, with a pint costing only Rs 50,” they said.

Meanwhile, the Patiala police launched a search operation in the entire village after some jars were recovered from an abandoned farm. Interestingly, despite recovering the hooch based on secret information, the police have yet to apprehend the smugglers who stored the illicit liquor.

Traditionally, country liquor or 'lahan' is a solution made from fermented jaggery or molasses. Excise officials explained that those involved in the practice conceal spurious liquor in containers covered with polythene or use plastic jars, which are then buried in pits or hidden in ponds as part of the fermentation process. “This is done to evade arrest. After several days, the liquor is retrieved under the cover of darkness and sold illicitly through a well-established network,” they added.

Following recent deaths in Amritsar’s Majitsa, the police investigation revealed that methanol was procured in bulk online to prepare the toxic brew that led to the deaths of at least 24 people.