BaBBu
Prime VIP
FAZILKA: Fazilka police on Wednesday seized 20 truckloads of liquor from the farmhouse of murder accused and liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda in Ramsara village.
Police also arrested five truck drivers from the farmhouse who failed to produce any document regarding the consignment.
According to a release issued by Fazilka senior superintendent of police Ketan Bali Ram Patil, 1.74 lakh litres of liquor, stored in 19,300 cases, was brought from Dera Bassi and kept in Doda's farmhouse.
Davinder Singh, station house officer, Wahabwala police station, said the police registered a case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act against drivers Purshotam, a resident of Dera Bassi; Robin of Burna village in Hardoi; Shahid, a resident of Saharanpur; Harinderpal Singh and Naresh Kumar, both residents of Abohar. Later, the arrested men were produced in a local court which sent them to two-day police remand.
SSP Patil and returning officer of the constituency could not be contacted despite several attempts.
Expressing concern over the recovery of huge quantity of liquor ahead of the assembly polls, Punjab Congress vice-president Sunil Jakhar and party nominee from Abohar constituency alleged that Doda enjoyed the backing of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. He also alleged that the liquor contractor had reportedly been smuggling liquor to Gujarat too.
Facing trial for the murder of Dalit youth Bhim Tank, Doda is lodged in Amritsar jail currently.
He had filed nomination papers to contest the assembly elections as an independent candidate from Abohar constituency. Even though his family members had announced that Doda would support Arun Narang, BJP candidate from the constituency, and withdraw from the polls, his nomination withdrawal form was rejected by the returning officer citing that the document had not been signed by Doda.
Police also arrested five truck drivers from the farmhouse who failed to produce any document regarding the consignment.
According to a release issued by Fazilka senior superintendent of police Ketan Bali Ram Patil, 1.74 lakh litres of liquor, stored in 19,300 cases, was brought from Dera Bassi and kept in Doda's farmhouse.
Davinder Singh, station house officer, Wahabwala police station, said the police registered a case under Sections 61, 1 and 14 of the Excise Act against drivers Purshotam, a resident of Dera Bassi; Robin of Burna village in Hardoi; Shahid, a resident of Saharanpur; Harinderpal Singh and Naresh Kumar, both residents of Abohar. Later, the arrested men were produced in a local court which sent them to two-day police remand.
SSP Patil and returning officer of the constituency could not be contacted despite several attempts.
Expressing concern over the recovery of huge quantity of liquor ahead of the assembly polls, Punjab Congress vice-president Sunil Jakhar and party nominee from Abohar constituency alleged that Doda enjoyed the backing of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. He also alleged that the liquor contractor had reportedly been smuggling liquor to Gujarat too.
Facing trial for the murder of Dalit youth Bhim Tank, Doda is lodged in Amritsar jail currently.
He had filed nomination papers to contest the assembly elections as an independent candidate from Abohar constituency. Even though his family members had announced that Doda would support Arun Narang, BJP candidate from the constituency, and withdraw from the polls, his nomination withdrawal form was rejected by the returning officer citing that the document had not been signed by Doda.
