TC Gupta to head probe team on liquor smuggling in Haryana

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 11

The state government on Monday formed a three-member special enquiry team (SET) to probe liquor smuggling in Haryana, including the Kharkhoda liquor theft case, and appointed Additional Chief Secretary, Power, TC Gupta as its head.

The other members of the panel are ADGP Subhash Yadav and Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vijay Singh. Home Minister Anil Vij said the three-member team would submit its report by May 31.

As per terms of reference, the SET will check the actual availability of stocks in all warehouses or godowns that were sealed by the Excise Department during the last two years for any violation.

It will also examine the cases of seizure of illicit liquor in Haryana from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, both by the Police and Excise Departments separately with special reference to the action taken and fines imposed by the latter pursuant to the recovery of liquor.

The team will also collect and collate the result of investigation of the FIRs registered from March 15, 2020, till April 10, 2020, that have been registered in different parts of the state for the pilferage of liquor from L-1 and L-13 godowns and also from malkhanas of the police stations.

Earlier, Vij had recommended the name of IAS officer Ashok Khemka to head the panel. He had also given the name of ACS, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Sanjeev Kaushal for the same.