Maharashtra: Illicit liquor worth Rs 27.8L seized from Palghar house

Officials pose behind 580 seized bottles of illicit liquor; excise department officials with Vikram Rajput and Sujanram Siya, who would allegedly sell illicit liquor

Ahead of New Year celebrations, the excise department has deployed special squads to the city and Navi Mumbai to seize illicit liquor flown into the metropolis.

The department conducted two separate raids on December 20, seizing 158 boxes of illicit liquor worth Rs 27.81 lakh from a Palghar residence and counterfeit foreign liquor worth Rs 22.44 lakh from a godown. "In the first case, after being informed that there were huge quantities of illicit liquor in one Kalpesh Patil's residence in Palghar's Masroli district, we raided his home," said an excise official.

According to officials, two individuals - Vikram Rajput, 48, and 42-year-old Sujanram Siya - were arrested from Patil's residence. "These people were going to sell illicit foreign liquor in areas such as Dadra and Nagar Haveli. We have seized two tempos that were parked at the residence," said an official.

Patil, the kingpin, allegedly used to obtain illicit liquor while the arrested duo would sell it. Patil and a tempo driver, Chintamani Patil, are absconding, but the department is optimistic about apprehending them soon.

Speaking about the other raid, an official said, "We had received a tip-off that large quantities of counterfeit foreign liquor that was to be re-sold in some parts of the city had been stored in a godown at Dana Bandar."

The department stated that the liquor was brought from Delhi. The police seized a four-wheeler worth Rs 22 lakh from the godown and arrested two men, Naresh Ramani, 54, and Jishan Qureshi, 31.

Qureshi later confessed that more such liquor was stored in a container at Wadi Bandar in Mazagaon. The police then seized 319 sealed bottles, a 10-wheel cargo truck and other assets worth Rs 79 lakh from the site of the container. The accused also revealed that another accused, Premji Gala, 67, was also involved and the latter was duly arrested. In all, the department seized 580 bottles of Scotch and other items worth Rs 01,63,935 in the second incident.

All the accused had been booked by the department under sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.

According to data provided by the excise department, 350 FIRs were registered across the state from April to December 20 and 275 offenders were arrested while 6,436 boxes and assets worth Rs ,42,73,321 were seized in this period. "The accused had been selling Indian liquor in foreign bottles as well as counterfeit foreign brands, cigarettes and foreign Scotch," said an officer.