Excise officials under lens for selling liquor to smugglers

Excise Department staff in Hanumangarh are under investigation for allegedly selling Punjab-made English liquor to individuals attempting to smuggle it into Gujarat, where alcohol sales are banned.

Advertisement

Acting on a tip-off, the Hanumangarh District Special Team and local police intercepted a pickup van, which was being escorted by a Fortuner car late Saturday night. The search led to the recovery of 130 cartons containing 1,560 bottles of liquor. Preliminary questioning suggested that the liquor was loaded at an Excise Department station and intended for smuggling to Gujarat.

Three suspects, Abhishek Jat of Inderpura, Harjinder Singh of Rawatsar, and Harvinder Singh of Fatehpur were arrested. A case has been filed, and Assistant SP Janesh Tanwar, along with Circle Police Officer Meenakshi Saharan, supervised the operation. Harjinder Singh was driving the car escorting the van. Initial investigations point to possible involvement of Excise Department personnel in the illegal sale of the liquor. Further inquiries are ongoing.