In an achievement of sorts, Pauri police have arrested two liquor smugglers from Kotdwar on late Monday night and seized 142 crates of Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl) worth around Rs six lakhs from their possession on the first day of the special campaign against smuggling of drugs/liquors launched by state police on the instruction of the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.
The accused have been identified as Abhishek Kathait and his brother Banti Kathait, residents of Kotdwar. Police said that the duo was living in a rented accommodation at Janki Nagar in Kotdwar. Besides, the house owner was slapped with a challan of Rs 10,000 for his failure to complete the tenant verification despite the accused living in the house for the past two months. It is learnt that several cases of liquor smuggling have remained tagged to the duo.
Pauri senior superintendent of police Mukhtar Mohsin said that police had received a tip- off that two persons – Abhishek and his brother Banti- living in a house on rent at Janki Nagar in Kotdwar had been illegally supplying IMF liquors. A team comprising sub-inspectors -Ramesh Tanwar, Pradeep Negi and Sanjay Puniya and constables – Sudhanshu, Ajendra, Sanjeev, Arun, Sandeep, Mohakkam, Aabid, Pradeep and Avnish- was formed with the additional SP Kotdwar, deputy SP Kotdwar and police station in-charge inspector Kotdwar guiding the team.
The team members raided the ground floor of the house and recovered 142 crates IMFl. A case (94/17) under section 60 of Excise Act has been registered against the accused in the police station concerned.
Police sources said that Abhishek had been booked under section 60 of Excise Act in two cases (FIR number: 101/15 and 150/16) in the past while one more case (236/16) under section 506 of IPC had been registered against him. Moreover, a case (FIR: 67/17) had been registered against Banti in the past.
SSP Mohsin said that the drive against smuggling of drugs/liquors will continue in the district in the coming days to stamp out the menace. He also announced a reward of Rs 2500 for the team for arresting two liquor smugglers on the first day of the drive.