State Congress on Saturday alleged that opposition BJP and JCC (J) leaders were indulged in bootlegging in the state.
Congress’s state general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi in a statement alleged that on the one hand the opposition BJP and JCC (J) are demanding prohibition while on the other the illegal trafficking of liquor business was going on in the state under their patronage.
Dual character of these political parties have actually come to fore after BJP district treasurer, Baloda Bazaar was nabbed in this connection, Trivedi said. A JCC (J) MLA Pramod Sharma made attempt to get release of Anil Gupta from the police station, he added.
Notably, some vehicle bearing logo of Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) were trapped by the state police but actually these vehicles do not belong to CSPDCL, but its owner was one Anil Gupta, and these vehicles were hired by the power company for electrical works in Baloda Bazar region.
Gupta is said to be a BJP leader and action against him was being taken by the state police as well as the CSPDCL.
Taking cognizance of vehicles hired by it being used in smuggling of illicit liquor, the state-run power company the other day cancelled the contract of the vehicle and blacklisted the contractor.
According to investigation it was found that the vehicles Tata Pick-up bearing registration number CG 22 H-4367 and Tiuvi Mahendra bearing registration number CG 22 G-7457 were seized for illegal transportation of liquor under Pandaria Kukadur police station of Kabirdham District.
Action was taken on the case of the vehicles being used for illegal transportation of liquor from Madhya Pradesh two days ago. The vehicles were hired for works in the Sub Division office of Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company, Baloda Bazar.
A CSPDCL official informed that by canceling the contract of these vehicles, the safety deposit was confiscated and the recommendation was made to blacklist the vehicle owner.
According to CSPDCL probe these vehicles were taken from electrical office on January 14, 2020 for conveyance and repair work. The very next day i.e. on 15 January, the vehicle was caught by the police while transporting illegal liquor. At that time these vehicles were not being used for any work of the power company. These vehicles were fitted with stickers of the Chhattisgarh State Power Company, which created the confusion that liquor is being smuggled into the electricity department's vehicles.
Amid a section of media reported involvement of CSPDCL officials in illegal trafficking of liquor, the company officials claimed that they found that no employees of the power company were in the vehicles.
According to station house in-charge of Kukadur, the vehicles and employees engaged in the liquor smuggling have no connection with the power company.