Illegal Caps manufacturing for illicit liquor bottling racket busted by Police and Excise Department

Illegal Caps manufacturing for illicit liquor bottling racket busted by Police and Excise Department

Approximately two Lac Caps of Sancheti Packaging Pvt. Limited, Chandigarh recovered

Approx 20,000 caps of Sir Shadi Lal Distillery, Mansurpur (UP) also detected

Nabaz-e-Punjab, Mohali, June 27:
​​Continuing its tirade against the bottling of illicit liquor as well as smuggling of illicit liquor into the State of Punjab under “Operation Red Rose”, the Excise Department, Punjab got a major success in busting a racket of un-authorized manufacturing of liquor bottle Caps used for illicit liquor bottling and nabbing the owner of the factory alleged to be involved in manufacturing of these Caps in Dera Bassi area.
​​Giving the details, Sh. Naresh Dubey, Joint Excise commissioner, PUNJAB` informed that the Excise Department alongwith police department has once again tightened the noose on supply chain of important manufacturing constituents of Illicit Liquor so that their supply is choked and thus revenue of the state as well as health of the People of Punjab can be secured. A secret information was received that there is bottle caps manufacturing unit in Hansa Industrial Park, Barwala Road Dera Bassi SAS Nagar which is also involved in unaccounted manufacturing of Liquor bottle caps in connivance with some notorious Bottling plants for manufacturing illicit liquor. The same was alleged to get smuggled into the state of Punjab. The information was further developed and it was found that there seems to be a nexus operating between the caps manufacturing unit operating in Hansa Industrial Park Barwala road Dera Bassi and some liquor Bottling units situated in Chandigarh UT. These bottling units used to get these caps purchased clandestinely in cash in an un-authorised manner. This unaccounted supply of caps was used to bottle illicit liquor which was later on supplied to various parts of the country, including Punjab.
​​On the intervening night of 24/25 June, 2021 a team from Excise Commissionerate Punjab and Mohali Police raided the premises of M/s Sia Industry situated at Plot No 235, Hansa Industrial Park, Barwala Road Dera Bassi SAS Nagar. During search big haul of liquor bottle caps were found manufactured and stored . No supporting documents could be produced by the manufacturing unit . Approximately two Lac Caps of Sancheti Packaging Pvt. Limited, Chandigarh were recovered for which no work order could be produced by owner of the factory Sh. Samritpal Singh. Moreover, the record available in the premises showed that earlier also the caps were sent to this Bottling plant on cash basis in an unaccounted manner. These caps could be later on used for packaging illicit liquor. The record was also taken into custody for carrying out further probe into this racket where the end user had connived with the manufacturer/supplier of the caps to get these caps manufactured in an illegal manner. As such, this illegal manufacturing, storage and sale of the caps was illegal and punishable as per section 63 -A, 24 -A & 61-(1)-14 of The Punjab Excise Act 1914. In addition to it, approximately 20,000 (Twenty Thousand) caps of Sir Shadi Lal Distillery, Mansurpur (UP) were also detected. During the course of investigation, it was established through Excise department of Uttar Pradesh that Sir Shadi Lal Distillery has not placed any order for these caps to this manufacturing unit in Punjab.
FIR No.211, dated 25.06.2021 was got registered at Dera Bassi Police Station against the culprits under Section 63 -A, 24 -A & 61/1/14 of Punjab Excise Act and Sections 420 and 120-B of IPC. Accordingly, Samritpal Singh owner of the factory was arrested on the spot and police is investigating the matter further to establish forward and backward linkages in this case. The accused Samritpal Singh was produced before the Hon’ble Court at Mohali yesterday i.e. on 26.06.2021 after initial police remand on one day and subsequently the police remand has been further extended by two more days.​​​​
Excise Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal stated that
Punjab Government is following a zero tolerance policy towards illegal/illicit manufacturing of liquor. He also informed that he has taken the matter of suspected illegal bottling of liquor by some Chandigarh based bottling plants with Excise Commissioner Chandigarh. In view of the seriousness of the matter he will take the matter up again with the Finance Secretary Chandigarh. He also informed that a centralized complaint number 9875961126 has been launched by PUNJAB government to receive complaints regarding illicit liquor and he encouraged the citizens to help the department in breaking the unholy nexus of illicit liquor by providing actionable information. The details of the informant will be kept secret.