After unearthing the illegal liquor factory, the police today nabbed Neeraj Thakur, 46, a contractor at Bohni, Hamirpur on January 24 and seized 863 bottles of liquor of VRV Foods Ltd from his retail shop at different places- Tarkvari, Poultry Farm Langmanwin and Kanjiyan in Hamirpur district.
Neeraj Thakur was booked under 420, 467, 468, 471, 120 B IPC and Section 23, HP Prevention of Corrupt Practices Act, 1983. He was produced in the local court where the judge remanded him to police custody till January 29.
The raids in Thakur's wine shop followed after the police booked one Hairsh Kumar (Rihsu), village Ghumarli, under section 39, (Ia) of HP Excise Act at the police station Bhoranj Hamirpur. The Police later added the 420, 467, 468, 471, 120 B IPC and Section 23, HP Prevention of Corrupt Practices Act, 1983 sections in this case after investigation progressed, the police said.
Earlier, SIT has arrested Praveen Kumar, 48, Paniyala, Hamirpur, Sunny, 20, a resident of Bhawnagarhi, Aligarh, Alok Kumar, 54, Gandhi Nagar, Unao, Uttar Pradesh, Sagar Saini, 54, Vehran Clave, Pachit Vihar, New Delhi and Pushpinder Singh, 24, Bhawangadhi, Aligarh on January 23. They are under police interrogation after the local judge reminded them to police custody till January 29.
Soon after the death of the five people, SIT had arrested SohanLal, Pradeep Kumar, Jagdish Chand, Achar Singh, all from Sundernagar area on January 20. They are under police remand till January 26.
The SIT continued its crackdown and nabbed Ajay Kohli, 41, Nagan, Baijnath, Gaurav Minhas, 40, a history sheeter, Tikkar, Palampur, Narender Kumar, 40, Chajwar, Maloh ( Sundernagar) between January 21 to January 23. SIT has also seized incriminating materials and thousands of bottles of illicit liquor from the premises of the accused for last five days, revealed the police.
Never before was such a region-wide crackdown launched against the liquor mafias. The mafias also played their role in the elections, ranging from the panchayats to state assembly and Lok Sabha in the state, commented a former police officer.
The SIT region-wide raids have busted the illegal liquor trade being run by the liquor mafias not without under political patronage in the state, alleged the villagers, who are always the "vulnerable targets of the liquor mafias to make easy money". The four accused from Sundarnagar area arrested earlier by SIT have political connection and were running the liquor racket for quite sometime to make fast bucks, charged the villagers, who wished not to be named.
The 13 persons arrested so far involved in running the liquor syndicate, are younger people not more than 50 years in age is also a cause of worry for the society, comment the sociologists.
Acting swiftly, the nine- member SIT of police officers under IG, Central Range, Madhu Sudan constituted by DGP Sanjay Kundu, raided different locations across the region. Kundu himself camped at Sundernagar to monitor the investigation to give no leeway to the accused and cracked the case without losing precious time that has been lauded by the public at large.
DGP Sanjay Gundu said the investigation is moving ahead in the right direction and no culprit will be spared.
