Liquor worth Rs 3.5 crore seized in dry district

Liquor bottles were found inside a car dashboard

Chandrapur: With less than a week left for polling at Chandrapur, the district police have seized large consignments of liquor being smuggled in to lure voters. Like Gadchiroli, Chandrapur has been declared a dry district, where transportation, sale, and consumption of alcohol is banned.

Confirming the seizures, superintendent of police, Chandrapur, Dr Maheshwar Reddy said, "The consignments were being smuggled into the district through rail and road routes. A car's dashboard was used to stock up liquor. Similar cavities were made in a truck driver's seat. Bottles worth R3.5 crore have been seized." Reddy added that the team has seized four country-made weapons with live cartridges and arrested a few people in this regard.

The police have also seized cash worth R90 lakh, of which nearly R45 lakh, district collector Dr Kunal Khemnar informed. Speaking about the election bandobast, Reddy said, "In Chandrapur district, election-related crimes are almost nil. But as a precautionary measure, we have externed 13 known criminals and detained nearly 700 offenders, of which some were released after signing a good behaviour bond."

When asked if his team has received specific information about any untoward possibilities this election, he replied in the negative. "Eighteen polling stations are touching Gadchiroli and Telangana forests, where naxal activities are still prominent. We will be deploying central paramilitary and our police in adequate number to prevent any untowardincidents," Reddy added.

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