Patiala, November 2
The Excise Department has issued three challans to the erring liquor contractor for allegedly “smuggling liquor meant to be sold at authorised vends in Punjab” to Gujarat and has ordered a probe. However, no action has been taken against excise officials deputed to check smuggling.
Sources said the police probe had revealed that the liquor was meant to be sold at liquor vends owned by the accused who are now evading arrest.
“Their grilling is crucial to ascertain as to who ordered such consignment to the poll-bound state of Gujarat,” they said. “Also, if such smuggling was done earlier too can only be known when the accused are grilled,” they added.
“Three challans have been issued and the file for further necessary action has been sent to senior officials,” said Patiala Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC) Inderjeet Nagpal.
Meanwhile, the Congress has demanded a high-level probe into the incident. Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa has asked the Election Commission of India to intervene and “check inflow of liquor from Punjab to Gujarat”.
“The accused who ordered such liquor and the ones supplying it from Punjab need to be brought to the fore,” Bajwa said. “The role of excise officials and seniors in the government cannot be ruled out and therefore a thorough probe is the need of the hour,” Bajwa told The Tribune.
Last week, the Patiala police had unearthed a nexus, wherein the liquor meant for sale at the state vends was allegedly being smuggled to poll-bound Gujarat. Cops had seized around 600 cartons of illicit liquor from a truck. A case under Sections 61, 1, 14 and 78(2) of the Punjab Excise Act and Section 420 of the IPC had been registered against four persons — Lovely, Komal, Monu and Narinder Singh.
“All earlier cases of liquor smuggling by authorised liquor contractors should be clubbed and the Election Commission should order a probe,” said Bajwa.
Liquor smuggling to Gujarat
Last week, the Patiala police had unearthed a nexus, wherein the liquor meant for sale at the state vends was allegedly being smuggled to poll-bound Gujarat. Cops had seized around 600 cartons of illicit liquor from a truck
