-SATISH HANDA

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij expressed satisfaction over investigation report submitted by SET led by senior IAS officer T.C. Gupta constituted by state government to investigate biggest liquor scam in Haryana reported so far at Kharkhoda in which huge quantity of liquor stocks seized by excise and taxation department in raids kept in the godown of a liquor mafia at Kharkhoda under heavy police guard stolen from the godown of a liquor mafia stolen, sold and smuggled to other states during lockdown period by the owner of godown Bhupinder Singh in alliance with police and excise department staff when all liquor vends in the state were closed down as specified in the report submitted by SET on July 31, 2020 along with large number of suggestions. Vij forwarded the detailed report to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatter with his recommendations to move the case for vigilance investigation and take action against then Sonepat SP Priteeksha Godara and Excise & Taxation Commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi responsible for large number of lapses mentioned in the report, which was not digested by Dushyant Chautala Deputy Chief Minister also holding the charge of excise and taxation department in the state. Vij also recommended registration of FIRs against all those government staff alleged involved in embezzlements by the vigilance department.

Anil Vij raised a question over Priteeksha Godara then SP for providing two police guards for the security of Bhupinder Singh merely a liquor smuggler undergoing several cases against him in whose godown stocks of liquor was stolen and sold during lockdown period, besides arms license was unethically issued to him illegally when five criminal cases were under trial in the courts against him. Vij also raised question over working of Shekhar Vidyarthi Excise Commissioner for large number of irregularities in excise and taxation department pointed in SET report including large number of illicit liquor sale and smuggling cases reported during lock down period due to negligence by the department sheltered liquor mafias.

SET report also specified that instructions according to 2011-12 excise rules were not properly implemented, the cases of illicit liquor seized by the department were not solved in two months time as per rule, illicit liquor seized by the excise department was not destroyed in most of the cases prior to start of next financial year, most of CCTV cameras installed in distilleries as well as liquor godowns were either found missing or out of orders in the absence of regular checking by excise department officials, tracking and tracing system was nor followed in most of the distilleries causing revenue loss to the government, high grade electronic flow meters were found missing on tanks in distilleries, there was no GPS stickers on vehicles carrying liquor. The report suggested that the concerned staff in excise department should be provided training to stop liquor smuggling, senior officers of the department should conduct surprise checking to audit stocks and sale in distilleries.

Meanwhile Dushyant Chautala denying most of the allegations in SET report raised question over police role while handling excise cases, which remains restricted to arrest of driver of vehicle carrying liquor for smuggling and police department never tries to reach up to prime accused in such cases. Sheltering excise department officials, Chautala said as many as 14 cases were registered with police under excise act in past sometime in which excise department officers seized illicit liquor stocks in which driver of the vehicles were arrested by police but no action was taken by the police against prime accused in all cases Chautala praised the working of Shekhar Vidyarthi in excise department for immediate implementation of all instructions released by the government from time to time.

While talking to INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala, he said this report is merely an eye wash since SET was constituted only to save mastermind of these scams generally near and dears to political leaders or influential persons. He suggested that investigation should be handed over to CBI and ED instead of vigilance department unable to take any action against senior IAS or IPS officer in the state. Meanwhile, addressing a digital press conference HPCC president Kumari Selja and AICC convener Randeep Singh Surjewala said that according to SET report, all liquor mafias are being sheltered by senior political leaders as well as senior bureaucrats in the government as a result large scale illegal sale and smuggling was reported during lock down period. Both surprisingly said, SET has no rights to investigate such matters or possess any legal validity as such submitted report half heartedly on July 31, 2020. They said, such type of investigation should be carried by a sitting High Court judge. Raising a question both said how a fair investigation is possible by SET without having power.