Bhubaneswar: The Excise Officials of Special Squad, Central Division, Cuttack arrested a liquor licensee who was acting as liquor mafia.
The liquor mafia has been identified as Indrajeet Gupta, the kingpin of this illicit liquor business.
Earlier, the Excise Officials had apprehended two liquor mafias Muna Kumar and Saroj Kumar of Baleshwar District yesterday from whom 800 Litres of illicitly distilled liquor was seized, which was transported in a Mahindra Bolero bearing Regd. No. OR-04-L-0575 From their interrogation, the Excise Officials of Special Squad, Central Division, Cuttack today conducted raid in the house of owner of the vehicle Gobinda Naik and recovered 850 Litres of ID Liquor in village Ada under Simulia Police Station of Baleshwar district. Bhagirathi Naik, father of Gobinda Naik has been arrested and forwarded to the Court of J.M.F.C., Soro, Baleshwar for storing illicitly distilled liquor in his house. Gobinda Naik has absconded and efforts are on to arrest him. Steps will be initiated for confiscation of the vehicle which was used in the illicit liquor business.
It was also ascertained that the licensee Indrajeet Gupta of Country Liquor shop at Balikhandi is the kingpin of this illicit liquor business. Accordingly, another team conducted raid in the Country Liquor shop at Balikhandi and recovered 550 Litres of illicit liquor kept in the shop premises. The licensee Indrajeet Gupta has been arrested and forwarded to the Hon’ble Court of S.D.J.M., Bhadrak his involvement in the illicit liquor trade. His Country Liquor shop has been sealed for further investigation. After thorough investigation, steps will be taken for cancellation of his license. Efforts are on to arrest all the people involved in the illicit liquor business.
If any licensee is found involved in illicit liquor business, most possible stringent action will be taken against him, Excise Commissioner Narasingha Bhol has warned all licensees to this effect.