Punjab cops get remand of 4 pilfering whiskey

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, January 4

The Punjab Police today produced the four suspects allegedly involved in the inter-state pilferage of imported blended whiskey racket in a local court, which remanded them in three-day police custody.

The suspects were caught red-handed by the police and the Excise Department team while pilfering whiskey into smaller drums from two tankers on the Chabal road in Tarn Taran. They were identified as Dharminder Singh, Chamkaur Singh and Manohar Singh, all residents of Tarn Taran, and Sarvan Singh of Sue Wali Havelian in Sanghna village. Their fifth accomplice, Gursharan Singh of Sanghna village, however, fled the scene.

Following preliminary interrogation, the police have launched a manhunt to nab those who received the pilfered liquor for dilution and further sale. “We have identified two persons in Amritsar to whom the suspects used to supply the liquor,” said a police official privy to the investigation, adding raids were on to nab them. The police did not share the names as it could hamper the probe.

Acting on a tip off, the police along with excise officials had confiscated two tankers containing 42,000 litres of three-year-old blended grain scotch whiskey worth Rs 2 crore here yesterday. The liquor was meant for United Spirits Limited’s distillery at Khasa and was imported from foreign consignor Diageo Brands BV in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It had arrived at the Nhava Sheva port in Mumbai.

Preliminary probe suggested the accused were to pilfer the liquor in 200 litre drums, which would further to be sold at Rs 10,000 per drum.