Almost 18 months after the hooch tragedy which claimed more than 150 lives, the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Friday arrested four people from Rakhial with 1,175 litre of ethanol-like hazardous chemical.
Almost 18 months after the hooch tragedy which claimed more than 150 lives, the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Friday arrested four people from Rakhial with 1,175 litre of ethanol-like hazardous chemical.
The chemical is used to spike liquor to make it more potent. The DCB also busted an inter-state racket involved in brewing and supplying illicit liquor.
Acting on a tip off, ACP Mayur Chavda and PSI JD Purohit of DCB raided a house opposite Vasudev Estate in Rakhial. They arrested Iqbal Pathan, 26, and Gafar Pathan alias Gafar Kanio, 25,-both residents of Sundaram Nagar in Bapunagar.
Two others who were arrested were identified as Imran Pathan alias Imu alias Choda, 28, a resident of Juni Chali No 1 in Rakhial and Amrat Jain, 62, a resident of Padali village of Dungarpur district in Rajasthan.
The officials seized 375 litre of chemical, which they suspect to be ethanol, worth Rs60,000 and 110 litre of country-made liquor worth Rs2,200 from the house.
The team also seized another 800 litre of ethanol, worth Rs1,28,000, from a godown of Balaji Golden Transport in Madhupura area. In addition, two barrels, seven cans, two alcohol metres, 500 empty plastic bags meant for packaging the liquor and other articles were also seized.
Himanshu Shukla, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said the four used to brew the liquor and supply the stock to local bootleggers.
The DCP said the chemical was supplied by one Prakash of Udaipur and Amrat Jain used to operate as his local agent.
"Prakash owns a road-side dhaba in Udaipur. In collusion with tanker drivers who used to halt at his dhaba, he pilfered chemical from the vehicles and later sent it to Amrat as rosewater by Balaji Golden Transport," Shukla said.
The DCB official added that a barrel with 350 litre of ethanol cost Rs17,000, but it was sold to bootleggers for Rs20,000. "In the last one and half month, Amrat brought 10 barrels of ethanol to the city," Shukla said. Names of notorious bootleggers Shiva of Khokhara and Chandu of Maninagar have also cropped up during investigation.
Shukla said they will also seek help of Rajasthan police in the case. The DCB has sent samples of the chemical to Forensic Science Laboratory.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}