In a first of its kind case in the country, which raises issues like minors accessing alcohol and the possibility of duty-evaded and spurious drinks being supplied, the Maharashtra excise department has cracked down on websites offering home delivery of liquor. The department has cracked the whip on two websites and has arrested seven people.
State excise commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee told dna that the case-- the first-of-its-kind in India--had several ramifications related to health, finance and crime like spurious liquor and underage consumers are also being looked into. “We are looking into all aspects... as this may be a huge racket,” he said.
Excise and prohibition laws forbid liquor vendors from solicitation, direct advertisements and online sale. Bulk sale, possession and transport of liquor without permits are also not allowed.
Pradip Pawar, deputy commissioner (inspection), said the department had placed orders with some websites last week after it received complaints from wine shop owners about discounted sales and possibility of duty evasion.
A couple who had come to Colaba to make delivery on behalf of a Noida-based website was arrested and the liquor was traced to a wine shop in Bandra (West). The manager and an employee of the shop, who co-ordinated with the website, were also nabbed. The department is also on the lookout for two more Delhi-based people.
In the second case, officials ordered imported liquor from another website and raided two offices at Saki Naka and Andheri where deliveries were to be made. Three people were also arrested.
Liquor worth Rs 1.80 lakh was seized in addition to a Santro car which was used to make delivery in the first case.
“The investigations were done on a forensic basis where an email id was created, mails sent and the entire electronic chain established,” said Mukherjee.
Other aspects like which stores are part of the network, whether they were illegal joints and if spurious liquor was being sold considering the discounts being offered despite the heavy excise duty structure are being examined, he said.
If an authorised licensee (like a wine shop) was found selling spurious liquor, he would have to face legal consequences. In case of liquor sold online, it was difficult to trace the culprits, pin down responsibility and take action, he said.
“We have to see the law in the context of the situation in which it operates,” said an official when asked if excise laws in Maharashtra need to be changed. He justified the stringent provisions in these laws on grounds that even many developed countries enforced a minimum age for drinking. “All over the world, there is control across the supply chain due to issues like bootlegging and spurious liquor,” he said.
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