6,000 bottles of liquor seized from illegal unit in Hamirpur

Dinesh Kanwar

Hamirpur, January 22

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe into the Mandi hooch tragedy that claimed seven lives unearthed an illicit liquor making factory in Hamirpur last evening and arrested three persons.

Sources say that the SIT confiscated over 6,000 bottles of liquor and sent them to a forensic lab for testing. It also started a manhunt for the kingpin of the illegal liquor trade, who reportedly has an excise licence. He is absconding since last evening after the police asked him to produce the details of the liquor stock at his unit. The SIT not only recovered liquor but also gallons of spirit from the factory premises.

SP Akriti Sharma said that the SIT had raided a building in connection with the illicit liquor trade but did not divulge any details. The matter was with the SIT and she could not comment on it, she added.

DGP Sanjay Kundu said that the three persons arrested from Garne Da Galu village, near here, were Parveen Kumar, who had rented his building for the production and bottling of illicit liquor, and Pushpinder and Sunny, who used to make liquor.

Meanwhile, local MLA Narender said that people should be aware of dubious social workers, who were earning money thorough unfair means and by luring innocent people. The kingpin of the illegal trade is said to be actively funding sports, cultural and social activites in the Hamirpur constituency and also has political interests.

2 more held for hooch tragedy

• Palampur: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sundernagar hooch tragedy arrested two persons on Saturday for their links with a mafia involved in the supply of spurious liquor
• Information reveals that the team raided the house of Gaurav and arrested him
• It searched his house and seized incriminating documents, including stickers and labels to be fixed on liquor bottles
• Gaurav was already facing cases pertaining to illegal sale and purchase of liquor in different courts. He was also arrested last year and a large quaintly of illegal liquor was seized from him
• The team also arrested Ajay Kohli, owner of a printing press at Baijnath
• The liquor mafia had placed an order of one lakh labels and stickers for printing. It is also learnt that he had association with the mafia and regularly printed stickers