Illegal liquor racket busted in Patiala, 3 held

Tribune News Service

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Patiala, June 22

The police today claimed to have busted a three-member gang involved in manufacturing of fake liquor, making machines and liquor-packaging material. The illegal liquor with “meant only for sale in Chandigarh” labels was being produced and sold in parts of Patiala, Rajpura and Ghanaur.

Patiala SSP Sandeep Garg said a fake liquor distillery and packaging unit being run in Shagun Vihar at Chaura village was raided by a police team under the supervision of City SP Varun Sharma, DSP Saurav Jindal and Inspector Shaminder Singh.

“We recovered 41,000 labels to be fixed on bottles and branded stickers of desi tango santra, masaledar desi sharab for sale in Chandigarh only,” said Garg. An FIR was registered at the Urban Estate police station.

A large quantity of counterfeit liquor making machines, liquor packaging material and other items were recovered from the factory premises. “Those arrested are Salwinder Singh Shinda, Hardeep Kumar Deepu and Hanish Kumar. Their two accomplices Atinderpal Singh and Vishal are absconding,” the SSP said.

The mastermind of the gang, Salwinder Singh alias Shinda, is already facing 12 cases of illegal supply of liquor in various police stations of the state. “After March 2020, Salwinder met Vishal and bought machines and packaging material from Delhi and bottles from Baddi. They used to mix extra neutral alcohol with flavours and sell it in Patiala and adjoining areas, claiming that this liquor was meant for sale in Chandigarh only,” said Inspector Shaminder Singh, adding that a carton of 12 bottles was sold for Rs 900.

The police said the accused had first set up the illegal unit in Ekta Colony, but later shifted it to an unoccupied house in Ghanaur and thereafter to Shagun Vihar in Chaura village.

Sources say Deepu is close to an MLA and a councillor and despite being booked in many cases of the Excise Act, he openly indulges in illegal liquor units. “His interrogation is important to reach those profiteering from his trade,” they said.