The Hindu : New Delhi News : Illicit liquor seized

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 28, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Illicit liquor seized

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JAN. 27. Two persons allegedly supplying illicit liquor bearing Defence labels to Army personnel were arrested from Delhi Cantonment by the Special Staff of the South-West Delhi police in coordination with the Liaison Unit of Military Intelligence this Tuesday. Over 100 liquor bottles hidden in the fuel tanks of two scooters were seized.

According to the police, the Liaison Unit of Military Intelligence gave them a tip-off that two persons, Om Prakash and Rajesh Kumar, would bring an illicit liquor consignment from Gurgaon to Delhi Cantonment on Tuesday.

Subsequently, the police laid a trap and intercepted the two scooters on which the accused were travelling.

The police found that both had hidden liquor bottles in the fuel tanks of the vehicles, which were modified for the purpose.

During interrogation, Om Prakash, a resident of Sikar in Rajasthan, disclosed that he was involved in seven cases of the Arms and the Excise Acts.

In 1995, he came to the Capital to work as a driver but had to leave the job after he met with an accident in 1999.

He along with his brother-in-law then started selling illicit liquor at R.K. Puram and was arrested on at least six occasions. About two years ago, he shifted to Sangam Vihar and then to Jharera village at Delhi Cantonment.

Lured by the prospect of selling illicit liquor to Army personnel using bottles bearing Defence canteen stickers, he began buying the stickers and empty bottles from Gurgaon and Bahadurgarh in Haryana. Om Prakash disclosed that he used to sell the liquor to the Army personnel and officials who needed them for their relatives and friends.

To evade detection, Om Prakash got a one-litre fuel tank built for liquor consignment. Another accused, Rajesh, disclosed that he was involved in at least two cases under the Excise Act in Delhi.

In another case, the Naraina police arrested two allegedly bootleggers, Ravin Yadav and Vikram Yadav, and recovered over 300 quarters from them. The auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling was also impounded.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had bought the consignment from Gurgaon and they were going to distribute it at Raghubir Nagar. Further investigations are on.

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