'Youth will be finished': SC on illicit liquor, drug menace

Satya Prakash

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New Delhi, December 5

Expressing serious concern over the illicit liquor and drug menace in Punjab, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the state government to fix responsibility of the local police for lapses on their part and spell out specific steps taken to curb the production and sale of spurious liquor.

Only FIRs being filed

You are only filing FIRs but, according to you, in every ‘gali’ and ‘mohalla’ there is a ‘bhatti’.

“We are not concerned with ‘A’ government or ‘B’ government. As far as Punjab is concerned, the drug problem is increasing. The youth will be finished. It is very unfortunate that this is happening. Who is the sufferer? The poor people. Illegal manufacture and transportation has to stop because it ultimately affects the health and society,” a Bench led by Justice MR Shah said.

“If somebody wants to finish the country, particularly from the border state, they will start with the borders. Extra caution should be taken to save the country. Tell your government to be very serious. They have to make every effort to save the country, it is very easy to ruin the youth,” said the Bench, which also included Justice CT Ravikumar.

The Bench directed the Punjab Government to file a reply giving details of concrete steps taken to stop the production of spurious liquor and how penalty recovered could be used for awareness campaigns or increasing the manpower to tackle the menace.

On behalf of the Punjab Government, senior counsel Ajit Kumar Sinha submitted that over 36,000 FIRs had been registered in the past two years and the state destroyed over 13,000 illegal liquor “bhattis” (distilleries).

“You (Punjab Government) are only filing FIRs, but according to you, in every gali and mohalla, there is a ‘bhatti’,” the Bench told Sinha.

The top court asked the state to come out with a circular on effective investigation and enquiry and that if any illegal “bhatti” was found, the local police would be held responsible for not keeping a vigil. It posted the matter for further hearing on December 12.

The top court was hearing a petition against a September 2020 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposing of a petition seeking the transfer of some FIRs registered in Punjab with regard to alleged sale and inter-state smuggling of spurious liquor to the CBI. The High Court had disposed of the petition after the state assured that the petitioners’ concerns would be addressed and suitable action taken.

As one of the advocates demanded compensation for the families of those who died after consuming illicit liquor, the Bench said it had to be a policy decision. “It’s very unfortunate. But who asked you to consume the (spurious) liquor? Why should a common man who is paying taxes suffer?” it asked.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the progress in the probe into illicit liquor trade cases in Punjab, the Supreme Court had on November 21 pulled up the state for treating the issue with “kid gloves”.