Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, September 3
Over three months after an illicit liquor unit was sealed by the Punjab Police in Ghanaur, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case on Thursday.
It will look into the politician-smuggler nexus, if any, and the role of legal and illegal distilleries that minted money, hiding actual profit figures. A formal ED case report has been lodged with the Jalandhar zonal office, said sources.
The modus operandi
Fudging quantity
Distilleries allegedly produced more liquor than permitted during the Covid-19 lockdown
Low-grade liquor
It was packed in bottles faking expensive brands and sold at the original price
Illegal sale at vends
Authorised dealers illegally sold the bottles at vends and evaded tax, said sources
They say the 12 FIRs lodged in the scam, including in Ghanaur, Mohali, Rajpura and Khanna, have also been attached. The case will probe alleged irregularities by politicians, distillery managements, liquor traders, smugglers and excise and police officials. The flow of money made through shady deals will be probed too.
The ED reportedly received little cooperation from the police and excise officials. It had sought details of FIRs, raids, arrests and probe reports in the past two years. A letter seeking information to the Excise Department on June 15 went unanswered. Letters to the Patiala SSP (June 6 and 12), Mohali SSP (June 17) and the Ludhiana (Rural) police (June 18) met the same fate.
Sources said liquor from Punjab was allegedly smuggled to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, among other states, which could not have been possible without political patronage.
The recent spurious liquor tragedy in three Majha districts that killed more than 120 persons too is under the ED scanner.
The ED will proceed as per the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and summon all accused, said sources.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3jOEUSn
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