The Hindu : SIT names abkari contractors as accused

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

SIT names abkari contractors as accused

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Oct. 21. The City Police Commissioner's Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Pappanamcode spirit case has filed a report before the Neyyattinkara Judicial First Class Magistrate court including prominent abkari contractors, Rafi and Vengode Murali, as accused in the case.

The Assistant Commissioner (SIT), Manilal, alleged that the collection statements seized from Rafi's bar-hotel at Gowreesapattom showed that the accused made a daily profit of nearly Rs. 80,000 by selling illicit spirit disguised as toddy through six benami-owned licensed outlets in the city.

He said the SIT was looking for a Tata Safari vehicle with a secret compartment that could conceal more than 500 litres of spirit. The SIT suspects that the vehicle was used for smuggling spirit from Bangalore.

The arrest of Sreekumar from Rafi's bar-hotel on Monday had led the SIT to the secret spirit godown that was functioning from a defunct rice mill at Mukkumpalam, near Naruvamoodu, according to the SIT.

The SIT probe, which started with the seizure of 18,135 litres of spirit from the premises of one Sudhi at Pappanamcode in April has so far resulted in the arrest of 23 persons, including several prominent abkari contractors in the city. The SIT's case is that the accused had hatched a conspiracy to smuggle illicit spirit into the city and rake in huge profits by retailing the spirit disguised as toddy through benami-owned licensed toddy shops.

Mr. Manilal claimed that the SIT possessed evidence to show that more than 43 toddy shops in the district were indirectly owned by the accused. The spirit smuggled from Karnataka was sold as toddy through these outlets. The proceeds from the toddy shops were seen reaching the offices of the accused who maintained registers, ledgers and cash books detailing the transactions.

Mr. Manilal said the accused operated in three groups. `China' Sunil and Rafi operated independently. The proceeds from 12 shops were traced back to `China Sunil' and six to Rafi. The daily collection from 25 other toddy shops were seen reaching the offices of the group headed by Vengode Murali and comprising Bapuji, Ambili alias Ajayakumar and Vijayan, he said.

Mr. Manilal said persons like Pappanamcode Sudhi, who has turned approver in the case, acted as stockists of spirit for the abkari contractors.

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