Spurious liquor-making unit busted in Ambala, four held

The Ambala police on Thursday said that they busted a spurious liquor-making factory in Shahazadpur block of the district and seized a large number of bottles of country-made liquor with labels of popular brands.

A police spokesperson said that following the operation, four men namely Gurpreet Singh, Surender Singh, Sandeep Kumar and Sachin Kumar, all locals, were arrested.

On being presented before a court, they were sent to four days of police remand, the spokesperson added.

Police said that during investigation, it came to light that the unit was being run for the last two months by Bittu of Dhanana village, who has a criminal past in other petty crimes.

A case was registered against the five men under Sections 61, 340, 338, 336(3), 318(4), 274 and 110 of the BNS and 61 of Punjab Excise Act at Shahazadpur police station.

Investigators said that acting on a tip-off, a team raided the site at Modern Colony area on Wednesday night and seized 109 cartons of illegal liquor, 80 liters of prepared liquor, 100 liters of liquor in two storage cans, 540 liters of spirit in three drums, 9,600 empty bottles, four water tanks, food color, large number of hologram number, QR code and other items.

Following the recoveries, the excise department officials were called on the spot and the men failed to furnish any valid documents, Inspector Jitender Singh, SHO, Shahazadpur police station, said.

SP Ajit Singh Shekhawat said that the men are being questioned to trace their supply and other networks.

It is worth mentioning that at least 22 men died in Yamunanagar and Ambala in November 2023, after consuming spurious liquor, made in a similar pattern at such a unit in Ambala’s Barara, nearly 40 kilometers away from the site busted.