The supply of country liquor was disrupted at the L-13 license godown at village Phunsgarh in Yamunanagar district after it was sealed by the Excise Department Haryana that led to the sale of spurious liquor at this authorised liquor vend that caused death of 20 persons according to official record in the area. State BJP president Nayab Saini said that a senior leader of the Congress was involved in the illegal liquor trade and was suspended by the party. The Congress had failed to curb the menace of illicit liquor and drugs during its rule in Haryana state and had no right to question the ruling government, he asserted on the statement of Congress leaders condemned the incident in which large number of persons personsd have been reported died.
According to information, ruling government has launched a massive campaign against drug menace when on Saturday in a secret mission 116 teams of the excise department started checking campaign in the early morning hours at all 58 each L-1 (English wine) and L-13 (Country liquor) godowns in the state on the direction by Devinder Kalyan Chief Secretary of Excise Department who directed JETC of all five zones in the state to thoroughly check the stocks and surprisingly it was found that 75000 cases, which included 55000 cases of Country liquor and 20000 cases English wine were found short in contractors’ godowns across the state. Aashutosh Rajan Collector Excise Department told media persons that stern action imposing heavy fine will be taken against the contractors in whose godowns lesser liquor stocks have been identified in their stocks and the licenses of few contractors may also be cancelled.
Among top twelve districts where maximum shortage of liquor stocks were detected by the excise department teams include Yamunanagar having shortage of 2000 cases English wine and 3900 cases Country liquor, Karnal district having shortage of 3700 cases English wine and 5180 cases Country liquor and 7370 cases beer, Panipat district having shortage of 3020 cases English wine 8300 cases Country liquor and 770 cases beer. Kaithal district having shortage of 750 cases English wine 8100 cases Country liquor, Sirsa district having shortage of 133 cases English wine and 8300 cases Country liquor, Gurugram East having shortage of 820 cases English wine, Faridabad district having shortage of 390 cases English wine, Palwal district having shortage of 330 cases English wine and 150 cases Country liquor, Kurukshetra district having shortage of 2500 cases Country liquor, Ambala district having shortage of 290 cases English wine, Fatehabad district having shortage of 80 cases English wine and Rohtak district having shortage of 240 cases English wine.
Information also reveals that at L-13 godown at Phusgarh in Yamunanagar district in the name of Mohinder Singh from where maximum quantity of Desi liquor was supplied resulting death of large number of victims nearly 2000 cases English wine and 3900 cases of Desi liquor were detected short by excise department checking teams. An officer of the Excise Department said the godown was sealed as the licence holder had failed to deposit the instalment of licence fee. During checking, the authorities found a short stock of liquor at the outlet. The liquor vend of Phunsgarh village was also in the name of Mohinder Singh, but the money was invested by four other persons . Mohinder reportedly worked for one of the four partners. Sources claimed that 117 crates/boxes of spurious liquor were sold from the Phunsgarh vend through illegal sellers who further sold it to the customers.
The district police have arrested 14 persons so far supplying spurious liquor in the area, said SP Yamunanagar Ganga Ram Punia. Large number of workers of the AAP led by party’s state president Dr. Sushil Gupta, campaign committee chairman Ashok Tanwar and state vice-president Chitra Sarwara held a protest at Jagadhri and demanded compensation for the families of the victims.
