Excise Minister assures probe after smuggled liquor recovered from SUV
Recovery of a huge quantity of liquor from an SUV in city opened a Pandora’s Box, highlighting how night clubs and cafes in Punjab continue to serve “illegal liquor” bought at cheap rates and causing tax loss to the state.
Following the revelation, Punjab Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema ordered a probe and has warned of strict action against excise defaulters.
“The Patiala case is in my knowledge and I would seek a detailed report on it. The police will probe the case in detail and strict action against the club owner using illegal liquor and the smugglers will be taken. No one will be spared”, the Minister told The Tribune.
On April 26, the excise team raided and impounded a Toyota Fortuner loaded with liquor bearing a Punjab-based registration number. While the excise team headed by inspectors Gopal Sharma and Harjinder Singh confiscated the vehicle and informed the Civil Lines police station, the driver of the vehicle managed to escape.
Sources privy to the developments say that the SUV was being used by a night club owner to smuggle liquor from other areas, causing loss to the state exchequer.
A senior excise officer revealed that in connivance with some officers, such smugglers pick stock at lower prices from other districts or even from outside Punjab and later these clubs sell the same “without paying any tax to the state”.
“Since we can only register the FIR with the local police station, the probe is conducted by the local police, who will now probe the case and make arrests if any,” he added.
Liquor traders confirmed that many club owners are directly buying alcohol from outside Punjab and in certain cases from outside the districts to save costs, but causing excise revenue loss and hurting local liquor contractors who have paid crores in fee. “Strict action against such defaulters is the need of the hour as they cause losses to the state and to us. Also there is no check on the quality of liquor smuggled,” they said.
Patiala