600-litres-of-illicit-liquor-seized-from-drains-in-patiala

In a major crackdown on illicit liquor trade, excise officials in Patiala recovered over 600 litres of spurious liquor from drains and fields in Hajipur village, located on the outskirts of the district. The operation, triggered by intelligence inputs and intensified following the recent hooch tragedy in Amritsar’s Majitha, uncovered plastic jars of hooch hidden in a sewage drain and buried in five-foot-deep pits near a village pond.

 

The excise officials informed the local police and over 50 personnel cordoned off the village while carrying out raids to make further recoveries. 

 

Under mounting pressure from the state government after the Amritsar hooch tragedy in Majitha, excise and police teams seized over 600 litres of illicitly brewed liquor from drains and deserted fields in Hajipur village.

 

“The raid is ongoing, and our teams are searching the entire village and nearby water bodies since the hooch smugglers had stored the liquor in jars and thrown them into drains or deep pits,” said Patiala Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer (Excise) Rajesh Aery.

 

By the time the report was filed, approximately 35 sealed plastic jars had been recovered from the drain and deserted fields.

 

“I have sought an explanation from the SHO concerned, who is accompanying the raiding party. No laxity will be tolerated in cases involving drugs and illicit liquor, and strict action will be taken,” said Patiala SSP Varun Sharma.

 

Local residents alleged that several individuals in Hajipur village are regularly involved in brewing and distributing illicit liquor to nearby areas, particularly in Sanaur. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Smugglers are well-connected and operate freely. A bottle of illicit liquor sells for as little as ₹50,” a villager claimed.

 

Despite the significant recovery, no arrests have been made yet. The police launched a village-wide search after more jars were found on an abandoned farm, but the individuals behind the operation remain at large.

 

The crackdown comes in the wake of the Amritsar hooch tragedy that claimed at least 24 lives. Investigations revealed that toxic liquor laced with methanol was manufactured using bulk chemicals ordered online.