Gujarat Police conducts raids at distilleries in neighboring union territory Daman

Surat: Two Special Investigation Monitoring Committees, formed by Inspector General of Police(IG) Surat Range have conducted investigation into root of menace of illegal liquor supply in South Gujarat by raiding number of distilleries in neighboring union territory Daman.

Indian Police Service(IPS) officer Nirlipt Rai who has been appointed supervisory officer of one of such committees to conduct the probe said: SIT has been formed to catch wanted bootleggers of Surat rural and Navsari areas and take action against them under CRPC 17 and CRPC 82. Cases related to illegal liquor registered in last two months in IGP Surat range suggest that source of liquor was neighboring union territory of Daman. We have started thorough probe into how liquor from Daman enter into Gujarat. Manufacturers sold it to which shop? From there, how it came to Gujarat? We want to match batch number of liquor stock recovered in Gujarat to its source distillery in Daman and trace its entire trail. We want to find out missing links of supply chain. Yesterday 8 officials had gone to Daman for investigation and collection of evidences.

While Speacial Investigation Monitoring Committee for Surat rural and Navsari districts is led by SP Nirlipt Rai with DySP SK Vala and inspectors DN Patel, SB Sheikh, MA Sumra and PN Padhiar as members, another such committee for Valsad district is led by IPS SP Sunil Joshi with DySP LB Zala and inspectors RG Desai and AG Jadav as team members.

The committees will monitor those liquor case in which ‘Daman manufactured’ or ‘manufactured for sell in Daman’ liquor has been found illegally in South Gujarat in various police raids. The monitoring committees will coordinate the task of collection of necessary details from excise department, Daman and distilleries in Daman on the basis of batch numbers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor(IMFL) recovered in South Gujarat in various cases. Wanted bootleggers will face procedures under CrPC sections 70, 82 and 83. Surat Range will review the work of both committees on monthly basis.

Some time ago Surat Range IG office had issued order that 160 bootleggers wanted in various cases and warrants are issued against them if don’t surrender before police in one week period, their assets will be attached. In response to this at least two bootleggers have surrendered before police. In a bold step, former vice president of Daman BJP Vishal Tandel was also booked. In another development, notorious bootlegger Nasimuddin alias Azad from Valsad was booked under PASA and sent to Rajkot jail recently. Bootlegger Ved Prakas alias Shahrukh was held by Valsad district LCB by chasing his car. He was wanted in prohibition case. Out of total 350 wanted bootleggers, warrants from court were received against 160 and handed over to Daman police. In continuous raids, Valsad district police early this month had recovered Rs 18,26,200 value liquor from five vehicles.