Amritsar/Chandigarh, May 16:— Amid sweeping crackdown against illicit liquor across Punjab’s border districts, police arrested at least 41 alleged bootleggers and seized over 18,000 litres of lahan—the raw material used for making illicit liquor—amid growing concern over the spurious liquor tragedy in Majitha that has so far claimed 27 lives.
The raids were conducted in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Pathankot, and were part of intensified action following the tragedy. Over 200 litres of illicit liquor were also confiscated during the operations.
“We have been taking action against illegal liquor manufacturers on a regular basis. However, due to lack of stringent laws, violators usually get bail and restart the illegal trade,” said a senior police officer.
Deputy Inspector General (Border Range) Satinder Singh vowed strict enforcement. “Nobody will be allowed to play with the lives of others. Our commitment to end this menace is unwavering,” he said.
Amritsar:
Amritsar Rural Police reported 13 arrests within the last 24 hours. They seized 3,000 kg of lahan and recovered around 50 litres of illicit liquor.
Tarn Taran:
Tarn Taran police arrested 15 individuals—including two women—in separate cases. A total of 15,470 litres of lahan and 133.5 litres of illicit liquor were seized. Chabal SHO Harpreet Singh said the majority of the raw liquor, about 15,400 litres, was recovered from two habitual offenders—brothers Gurbhinder Singh and Gursewak Singh—who had concealed the lahan in a bunker built inside their home.
In another raid, the police apprehended a couple from Kot Dharam Chand Kalan, Sukhdev Singh and Baljit Kaur, and seized 70 litres of lahan from them.
Pathankot:
Thirteen persons, including five women, were arrested in 12 separate cases in Pathankot. Police confiscated 42 litres of illicit liquor and 283 bottles of lahan.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon said the crackdown sends a strong message. “This may act as a deterrent for those indulging in the illegal trade,” he noted.
Sources indicated that much of the illicit liquor consumed in Pathankot and its surrounding areas originates from Channi Belli village in neighboring Himachal Pradesh. “We expect more arrests as we aim to break the backbone of this business,” an officer added.
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