E-Paper
Illicit liquor making hub busted in Punjab’s Baba Bakala village
In fifth such racket to be unearthed this month, five people were arrested at Jasso Nangal village; police cite involvement of accused of last year’s hooch tragedy
An illicit liquor manufacturing unit was unearthed, and five people were arrested in Baba Bakala sub division of Amritsar district on Friday night in the fifth such racket to be busted this month.
A team of the Amritsar rural police conducted a five-hour search at Jasso Nangal village of Baba Bakala and recovered 100 tonnes of lahan (raw material used for making illicit liquor), 370 litres of illicit liquor, 10 running stills, 16 tarpaulins, a water tank of 5,000-litre capacity, four drums (each of 200 litres capacity), 50 drums of 50 litres capacity each, eight LPG cylinders and two motorcycles.
Those arrested were identified as Baljinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Komal Singh, Paramjit Singh and Gagandeep Singh, all residents of Jasso Nangal village.
Supplies to Amritsar, Tarn Taran in early hours
Police said the accused had been smuggling the illicit liquor into villages of Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts during early in the morning.
Terming the racket as the main hub of illicit liquor manufacturing in Baba Bakala sub division, the police said the involvement of villagers had surfaced during the hooch tragedy investigation last year. At least 140 people had lost their lives after consuming spurious liquor in the three border districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur last July and August.
Cordon and search by 150 police personnel
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) rural Dhruv Dahiya said the police acted on a tip-off that the accused had been running stills in their homes for producing illicit liquor. “A team of nearly 150 policemen was formed for a cordon and search operation, which continued from 8pm to 1am,” he said.
“We are identifying the assets the accused have accumulated from this illegal trade. It shall be attached,” he said, adding that investigation to ascertain the identity of those to whom the illicit liquor was being supplied in various villages was on.
A case was registered under the Excise Act at Khalchian police station.
This is the fifth illicit liquor manufacturing racket that has been busted by the Amritsar rural police this month. Earlier, such rackets were unearthed at Kotli Sakka, Chappa Ram Singh, Lakhuwal and Khiala Kalan villages with the recovery of hundreds of tonnes of lahan.
