In a huge breakthrough in the Majitha spurious liquor case, Punjab Police have nabbed the kingpin and nine other accused. The move is in the backdrop of an investigation that found that methanol, which was brought online, had been used to make spurious liquor illegally. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav also verified the above, whereas SSP Amritsar Rural Maninder Singh assured that the inquiry is ongoing and all those people involved in the racket will be punished. In response to negligence, the local DSP as well as the SHO have both been suspended.
Acting with speed after a horrific loss of lives caused by spurious liquor in Majitha in Amritsar, Punjab Police arrested 10 individuals, including the kingpin of the racket and some local distributors, in relation to the illegal liquor business and key suppliers of Methanol— a deadly chemical used in industrial products, stated Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
The arrested kingpin of the racket has been found to be Sahib Singh, while the main suppliers of methanol have been found to be Pankaj Kumar, alias Sahil, and Arvind Kumar, who own Sahil Chemicals at Sukh Enclave in Ludhiana. Police have also made local distributors— found to be Prabhjit Singh and Kulbir Singh—and local sellers— found to be Ninder Kaur, Sahib Singh, Gurjant Singh, Arun alias Kala, and Sikander Singh alias Pappu.
DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that the initial investigation has shown that the Methanol chemical, which had been bought online by Kingpin Sahib Singh, was utilized for the production of fake liquor. Investigation is being carried out to identify the complete modus operandi and to put everyone involved behind bars, he added.
The DGP stated that DSP Subdivision Majitha Amolak Singh and SHO Police Station Majitha SI Avtar Singh have been suspended for gross negligence in performing their official duties, which led to the tragic incident. Departmental action has been launched against the delinquents, he further added.
We all stand together in sorrow and in our determination to see justice being done and such tragedies avoided in the future," reiterated DGP Gaurav Yadav.
Sharing information regarding the modus operandi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Maninder Singh stated that the investigations have found that the local distributor Prabhjeet Singh had taken methanol chemical filled in 50-liter jerry cans from kingpin Sahib Singh. Under questioning, the latter disclosed he had ordered the methanol from a Ludhiana-based chemical company, Sahil Chemicals, through an online platform, he added.
The SSP added that the investigation has also unearthed that another shipment of methanol, procured by kingpin Sahib Singh from a Delhi-based company, is also on the move. Excise and Police teams have been sent for to recover and confiscate the consignment as soon as it arrives, he added, while assuring that all the perpetrators behind this racket will be apprehended.
Two different cases, FIR no. 42/25 at Police Station Majitha and FIR no. 16/25 at Police Station Kathunangal in Amritsar Rural, have been lodged under sections 105 and 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), section 61A of the Excise Act, and section 3 of the SC/ST Act.