RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.16: The excise department is yet to seal a quarter (DT 1841) in HEC Township, where it unearthed an illegal bottling plant with 90 litres of illicit liquor three days ago.
A locality resident alleged that the excise department officials as well as the police are hand in gloves with the house owner in this case.
“The premise used for illegal work should be sealed but in HEC Township it was not done,” the resident said expressing his concern over excise department officials and illicit liquor trader nexus in the Jharkhand capital.
Contacted, officer-in-charge of Dhurwa police station Vimal Nandan Singh denied his role in the matter. “Liquor is the subject of excise department officials. I do not have any role in it,” Singh said.
Contacted the excise department sub-inspector, who was a member of the team under the leadership of Lalit Soren that unearthed the illegal bottling plant, he confirmed the situation citing reason behind the same.
“The house was not sealed as house owner Om Prakash helped the excise officials take proper action. He is an eye witness in the case. Sealing the house was not thought justified as nothing was in knowledge of the houseowner. He had just rented the house to one Mukesh Kumar Singh, who was running an illegal bottling plant. Mukesh used to stay with his family and Prakash was not expected to enter the room he had rented out,” the sub inspector said.
90 liters of foreign liquor Black Horse liquor, Blender Pride, McDowell No-1, Sterling, B-7, Imperial Blue besides empty bottles, lids, Jharkhand government label, Jharkhand State Beverage Corporation Limited’s hologram were recovered from the factory. The hologram seized from the factory was procured from Noida.
