Liquor Traders Take Licences In MP, Allegedly Run Illegal Business In Gujarat; SHO Dileep Puri’s Death Exposes Smuggling Network

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The liquor mafias' Gujarat network has again set off debates after the murder of town inspector (TI) Dileep Puri in Khategaon, Dewas, on Monday. Nearly 1,850 litres of liquor from three licensed shops in Harda were on the way to Gujarat. Puri lost his life in an attempt to stop the truck carrying the liquor. The truck driver mowed down the official.

The consignment of liquor was on the way from the Timrani area in Harda to Gujarat. The liquor-smuggling network between MP and Gujarat dates back years. Because of the liquor smuggling in Gujarat, the wine outlets on the borders remain costlier than those in other parts of MP.

The liquor contractors get licences for opening outlets from the state, but they operate in Gujarat. An inquiry conducted by the police has brought to light the fact that the contractors used to store liquor temporarily in the forests of the Alirajpur district.

The role of the excise department in the liquor smuggling network remains suspicious. The licence-holder liquor traders, in collusion with the excise department and other administrative networks, bootleg in Gujarat. According to sources, the bootleggers run a network from Madhya Pradesh to transport liquor to Gujarat.

A few liquor contractors have been running the liquor-smuggling racket for a long time, sources said. Dhar, Khargone, Indore, and Jhabua remain the main routes of liquor smuggling.

Sources further said contractors legally purchased liquor in MP and transported it to Gujarat. They did not prepare the liquor smuggled to Gujarat in any illegal distillery, which indicated they fudge the figures of stock and sale. Taking advantage of the ban on liquor in Gujarat, the liquor-smuggling network became active.

The murder of the police office also rattled those who run the liquor-smuggling network. A police official lost his life for the first time because of the liquor-smuggling network connected to Gujarat. The liquor smugglers remain scared, thinking that the police may act strictly against them.

According to senior officers, the liquor smuggling will stop if the excise department and the police crack down on it. They also said the revenue of the excise department continued to increase in the state every year because of the bootleggers operating in Gujarat. If the police act strictly against the liquor smugglers, many people in the state will wrap up trade.