Booked in liquor case, YC chief goes into hiding

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar/Tarn Taran, Nov 23

Tarn Taran’s district Youth Congress chief Harman Sekhon’s alleged involvement in the illicit liquor trade has come as a big embarrassment for the party as it was already facing a lot of criticism from the Opposition over its “failure” to curb illegal liquor smuggling.

Earlier, a close aide of Congress MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki was accused of sheltering bootleggers following the hooch tragedy that claimed over 125 lives in the Majha region.

Harman Sekhon is considered as a close aide of Congress MLA from Patti Harminder Singh Gill. Sekhon has gone underground.

Sekhon’s cousin Supreet Sekhon was produced in the court which has extended his police remand by three days.

The Amritsar rural police busted an alleged illegal liquor smuggling racket with the arrest of five persons on Saturday. They were identified as Lovepreet Singh of Kaler Kalan, Karanpreet Singh of Kaile Kalan, Pehaljit Singh of Ghuman Kalan, Lovepreet Singh of Ghuman Kalan, all residents of Gurdaspur and Baljinder Singh of Patti (Tarn Taran). Their interrogation led to the arrest of alleged kingpin Supreet Singh, alias Joti Sekhon.

Supreet’s interrogation further led to the busting of around eight illegal liquor vends in Patti in Tarn Taran that have been operating without any licence. However, Dhruman Nimbale, SSP, Tarn Taran, said he had sought a report from the excise department about these vends. Excise officials in Tarn Taran said all the vends had been sealed.

Police sources said the accused used to label the smuggled liquor and then sell it in different parts of the Majha region.