Excessive taxation by Punjab making liquor costly: HC
Saurabh Malik
Chandigarh, October 3
The state of Punjab has little reason to say cheers. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that innocent people were looking for cheaper liquor, which had become costly for various reasons, primarily because of excessive taxation by the state. The assertion came as the High Court turned down the bail pleas of five accused, including a woman, facing allegations of selling spurious liquor, which led to the death of 122 persons in July 2020.
In one of the judgments, Justice Anoop Chitkara asserted: “To make quick bucks, the petitioner prima facie played with the lives of innocent people, who were looking for cheaper liquor, which had become expensive for various reasons, the primary of which being excessive taxation by the state….”
In his detailed order, Justice Chitkara took note of the arguments by the petitioner’s counsel for bail on the grounds of parity with the alleged seller of methyl alcohol granted bail by a coordinate Bench of the High Court vide order dated May 21, 2021.
Justice Chitkara also made it clear that the petitioner was not entitled to bail on parity with a co-accused, as the allegations against him were of selling methyl alcohol and the state did not project its case that the sale was for manufacturing liquor and the evidence was based on the disclosure statements of the co-accused. “The case against the petitioner is of selling spurious liquor to the consumers, which led to their death. Thus, the petitioner is not entitled to bail on parity,” Justice Chitkara added.
The matter was brought to the court’s notice after the accused sought bail in the case registered for murder, criminal conspiracy and other offences on July 31, 2020, at Batala city police station in Gurdaspur district under Sections 302, 328, 120-B of the IPC and the provisions of the Punjab Excise Act.
Justice Chitkara asserted the petitioner was incarcerated upon his arrest with the investigation pointing towards his involvement in the allegations of selling illicit liquor containing low-priced methyl alcohol, instead of safe but much costlier ethyl alcohol, leading to the death of 122 persons.
Justice Chitkara added the offence was “chilling, gruesome, and brutal”. A perusal of the bail petition and the documents attached, prima facie pointed towards the petitioners’ involvement and does not make out a case for bail. Any further discussion was likely to prejudice the petitioner. As such, the court was refraining itself from doing so.
No bail for hooch tragedy accused
- The investigation was pointing towards petitioner’s involvement in the allegations of selling illicit liquor containing low-priced methyl alcohol, instead of safe but much costlier ethyl alcohol, leading to the death of 122 persons, observed Justice Chitkara
- The offence was “chilling, gruesome, and brutal” and a perusal of the bail petition and the documents attached, prima facie pointed towards the petitioners’ involvement and does not make out a case for bail
