In the wake of recent Mumbai hooch tragedy that claimed over 100 lives, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi has asked his force to curb smuggling of illegal or illicit liquor in the national Capital. The SHOs have been instructed to take the briefing everyday for prevention of any such activity in their areas. They have been directed to increase the vigil in border areas.
The areas in South, South-West and East Delhi are specially being monitored in order prevent the supply of illegal liquors. Special teams were formed by local police stations to check liquor smuggling in JJ clusters in these zones. They have been asked to conduct the regular inspection in civil uniforms. Delhi has 11 districts and 180 police stations.
Sources told The Pioneer that special drives are on a section of the community known for producing illegal liquor in the areas like Inder Puri, Raghubir Nagar, Nand Nagri, Gokulpuri and Prasad Nagar. A few of its members have history of crimes, including murders, robberies and snatching.
Source said that police suspect more persons, who were involved in the Mumbai hooch tragedy, might be hiding in Delhi and NCR areas. The main accused, identified as Atiq, was arrested from North-East Delhi’s Seelampur area, a week after the Mumbai’s death toll reached at 102.
Delhi had witnessed a major hooch tragedy in 1991 when 199 people had died after consuming illicit liquor. Most of them were labourers and rickshaw-pullers, who consumed the liquor reportedly manufactured in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad. In March 2009, 12 people in West Delhi’s Sagarpur area lost their lives after consuming liquors which were supplied from the Haryana.