The seizure of huge quantities of illicit alcohol and spirit in underground premises and hideouts have demonstrated that the liquor mafias are not only playing with the health and life of the innocent consumers of liquor, but they also are risking the life of “ immediate neighbours, poor workers and public at large”.
According to the state taxes and excise commissioner Yunus, the department had recently exposed a unit supplying illegal spirits in district Sirmaur. In the last two days, 15 cases of illicit liquor have been registered by conducting raids against illegal storage and sale of liquor in different districts of the state. During this, 29 cases of illicit liquor have been caught, which includes 20 boxes of Country liquor, 8 boxes of English liquor and one box of beer and 17700 ml of illicit liquor, he said.
The department is also inspecting all the authorized licensed vendors and manufacture premises. The team of South Zone Flying Squad located at Parwanoo, under the leadership of GD Thakur, joint commissioner of state taxes and excise, investigated the factories and caught 7 cases of irregularities, Yunus said.
During the inspection in Kala Amb (See pic), 19 drums of alcohol have been caught, out of which 580 bulk liters of excise product was found in 5 drums, he said . He said that all these drums have been sealed and samples have been sent to the laboratory.
Yunus said apart from this, 149 bulk liters of alcohol in excess and shortage of 692 bulk litrs of alcohol was found in the same factory. The team also inspected 6 companies manufacturing spirit products in Baddi and Kala Amb. In which 532 bulk liters of denatured spirit was found in excess in the stock of two companies during the checking. Whereas in four other cases, 460 bulk liters of alcohol stock excess quantity was found, commissioner said.
He said that further action under the Himachal Pradesh Excise Act is going on in all these seven cases. If any licensee is found involved in any kind of suspicious activities, then his license would be cancelled and action will be taken as per the Excise Act. Illegal traders of liquor will be dealt with strictly, he warned.
The state wide seizure of the illegal spirits and alcohol has exposed the vast dimension of the illicit trade following the Sundernagar Liquor Tragedy that had killed seven villagers. The victims had consumed the contaminated liquor of the star whisky brand of Chandigarh firm and Santra brand of Kangra -based firm, which were charged with the culpable homicide as per the original FIR lodged by police at Sundernagar police station last month. The Police SIT has cracked the case by arresting 16 accused so far and is yet to put the challan in the court.
