Punjab CM Vows to Expose Politician-Police-Bureaucrat Nexus in Illicit Liquor Trade
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday vowed to expose the nexus between politicians, police officers, and bureaucrats, asserting that such a powerful alliance must have enabled the widespread operation of illicit liquor networks in the state. His statement comes in the wake of initial reports suggesting a "price war" between two liquor contractor groups in Majitha, Amritsar.
Sources revealed that one group was selling liquor at the government-mandated minimum retail price, while a rival group, which operated a larger number of liquor vends and allegedly benefited from political protection, was charging above that rate. The discrepancy arises from the state excise policy, which sets a floor price for liquor but does not impose a ceiling.
Recently, the smaller group shut down several of its outlets, inadvertently creating a vacuum that allowed bootleggers and spurious liquor traders to exploit the market. In response, the Punjab government issued directives to excise and police officials across the state, instructing them to compile updated lists of individuals with prior involvement in the illicit liquor trade.
Preliminary investigations into the latest incident in Majitha, where several people consumed toxic liquor, indicate that the methanol used was purchased through an e-commerce platform. Acting on this lead, the Excise Department checked the transaction’s GST records, leading to the seizure of a methanol-laden truck en route from Delhi to Amritsar in Banur, Patiala. Authorities are also probing the role of a Ludhiana-based firm allegedly involved in facilitating the methanol purchase.
This latest tragedy follows a similar spurious liquor incident in Sangrur last year that claimed 20 lives due to methanol-laced alcohol, also reportedly sourced online.
State Excise and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema disclosed that he had written to the Union Commerce Ministry last year, urging them to establish a regulatory framework for the online sale of methanol. "We have yet to receive a response from the Centre. It's essential for them to create clear rules to govern such transactions," Cheema told The Tribune.
Concerns about the deep-rooted connections between politicians and bootleggers are not new. Earlier this year, retired Enforcement Directorate officer Niranjan Singh wrote to the Union Finance Minister, alleging that the 2020 Amritsar-Tarn Taran illicit liquor tragedy—which left 123 people dead—involved at least 10 sitting MLAs and a minister.
The state government’s current investigation aims to bring such hidden networks to light and ensure accountability across the board.
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