Kattianwali in Lambi turns into ‘illegal liquor den’

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Lambi, June 23

Kattianwali village in CM Parkash Singh Badal’s constituency Lambi seems to have earned the notoriety of an illicit liquor den.

A huge quantity of material being processed to prepare hooch was seized from along a drain during a raid by the police and excise officials.

As many as 100 officials and police men today conducted a joint raid for over three hours and found 15 drums of hooch buried under the soil. Besides, some tarpaulin sheets, pipes and other material being used to brew hooch were also seized. However, no one could be arrested as those involved in this illegal activity managed to flee before the arrival of the raiding party.

Muktsar ETO Inderjit Singh said, “Some liquor contractors had lodged a complaint to the high- ups that hooch was being prepared on a large scale in this village. A raid was conducted and a large quantity of material being used to prepare hooch was seized and 15 drums of hooch were destroyed. However, none could be arrested.”

“There are seven liquor vends in the Kabarwala area but not even a single is able to pay the fee to the department. The liquor contractors always complain that the sale of illegal liquor had affected their business.”

This was the fourth such raid in less than a year’s time at this particular location and every time the bootleggers managed to escape.

On September 17 last year, eight tarpaulin sheets containing material to brew hooch and seven drums containing the same material were recovered. On August 5 last year, about 35 tarpaulin sheets having material used to brew hooch and seven drums were recovered. On July 10 last year, about 100 tarpaulin sheets having the material to brew hooch and a large number of drums were recovered.

The Congress leaders of this area have accused the SAD leaders of protecting the bootleggers. “This constituency has turned into a den of illicit liquor. The raids are conducted merely for eyewash. How is it that raw material is recovered and the bootleggers manage to flee every time? Those involved in this trade enjoy the patronage of the SAD leaders of the area,” said Jagpal Singh Abul Khurana, a senior Congress leader.

Area SHO not in raiding team

Station House Officer Gursewak Singh, Kabarwala police station, was not informed about this operation and the team was constituted by Muktsar SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill

How the recovery was made

Excise sleuths and cops cordoned the area around 7 am. They carrying a sharp edged implement and kept checking the earth to find the raw material being processed to prepare hooch

Courtesy: The Tribune