Nagpur: Representatives of liquor companies will visit the crime branch office to ascertain the authenticity of the foreign liquor worth ₹42 lakhs seized by the crime branch on November 4. The state excise department too has been alerted, it’s learnt.
Cops had nabbed auto-rickshaw driver Atul Bhaladhare following a tip-off before seizing the illegally stocked liquorconsignment at three apartments at Gondwana Chowk, NIT quarters in Jaripatka and Ganeshpeth.
Bhaladhare, who worked for prime accused Ashok Chelani, is now in police custody.
Police sources said that Chelani, a resident of Jaripatka, earlier had a den at an apartment in Godhani which was raided by an officer of Jaripatka. Following the raid, Chelani had shifted base to Kapil Nagar.
Since 2011, many offences were registered against Chelani, including illegally stocking and trading in liquor, at different police stations like Jaripatka.
Chelani, still on the run, is learnt to have brought the liquor consignment from Madhya Pradesh and Haryana where the rates are relatively lower which helped him make huge profits.
Cops are now trying to ascertain whether Chelani’s citywide network of receivers included individuals or bigger establishments like permit rooms, pubs and lounges.
CP Amitesh Kumar said the upward and downward linkages in the illegal liquor case would be probed stringently. “We are set to probe from which states and persons did he (Chelani) brought the liquor from,” said the top cop.
Kumar said the authenticity of the seized liquor bottles needs to be ascertained after which the source or origin of the inter-state link would be unearthed.
Complaints have arisen regarding a new railway overbridge (ROB) in Nagpur, India, just two days after its opening. Local residents have reported accidents and increased inconvenience due to the incomplete and illegally inaugurated bridge. A PWD official admitted that many works are still pending completion.
Residents believe that the project was poorly planned and implemented for political gain, with little consideration for the general public. They also raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of the bridge and the inconvenience caused during religious visits to nearby cemeteries.
Looters took advantage of an accident involving a car transporting liquor bottles in Bihar Gaya district. By the time the police arrived, most of the bottles had been taken. The incident was caught on video and went viral on social media. The car and the bottles, containing approximately 247.5 liters of liquor, were seized by the police. CCTV footage is being examined to identify those involved in the looting.
The Income Tax department conducted searches at multiple locations, including the residence and business premises of Jagdish Arora, owner of Som Group in Bhopal. The raids were conducted in 50 locations across five states, including Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Officials leading the operation have not provided any statement yet.
The searches were also conducted in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Cuttack, and Bengaluru. The properties of key officials associated with the conglomerate are being investigated by the I-T department.
