Two women kingpins in net in liquor tragedy

Tribune News Service
Batala, August 1

The police have arrested four persons, including two women — Triveni Chauhan and Darshan Rani, alias Faujan — following overnight raids in connection with the illicit liquor tragedy. The others are Chauhan’s son Rajan and Faujan’s son Johnny.

Cops’ role under cloud

Suspects Triveni Chauhan and Darshan Rani, alias Faujan, ran illicit liquor trade allegedly in connivance with lower-rung cops, claim locals

“The women are the main players. They have been in the business for the past three decades, selling liquor directly under the gaze of the cops. Lower-rung policemen were apparently involved in felicitating the business,” claimed a resident of Hathi Gate, which falls under the jurisdiction of the City police station.

The police claim to have been carrying out regular anti-drug drives. In the preceding weeks, they had claimed to have seized thousands of litres of ‘lahan’ (illicit liquor).

While Senior Superintendent of Police Rachpal Singh, who joined on Thursday, remained incommunicado for the second consecutive day, Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Parvinder Kaur rejected the charge of lower-rung officials being hand in glove with bootleggers.

“There is no connivance of policemen with the accused. We are inquiring into what exactly happened,” she said.

Officers said Triveni Chauhan, who claims to be working with a vernacular, tried to mislead officials yesterday. “Claiming innocence, she led officials the wrong way and even took a police team to the site where the deaths occurred, apparently to confuse cops. It was only later that we learnt of her involvement,” said a

senior officer.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ishfaq toured the affected area today. “The properties and other assets of the accused are being probed,” he said.