THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, February 27: The Palamu district excise team, along with local police from Paton police station, on Thursday busted an in-house storage facility of illicit foreign liquor ahead of the Holi festival.
One person was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on the same day under relevant sections of the Excise Act.
Crackdown Ordered Ahead of Holi Festival
Excise Superintendent Sujit Kumar said the crackdown was initiated at the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Palamu’s instructions.
“With Holi round the corner, the DC has directed strict action against illicit liquor. The excise team has been on high alert,” Kumar said.
He added that on February 26, officials received a tip-off about the illegal storage of foreign liquor at a house in Basdah, under the Paton police station limits.
Tip-Off Proves Accurate; Massive Stock Recovered
A joint team of excise officials and local police conducted a raid, during which 4,233.36 litres of illicit foreign liquor were seized.
According to the excise department, the estimated market value of the recovered stock is ₹42 lakh. The consignment included popular whisky brands, including bottles labelled as McDowell’s.
The house belongs to Mahadalit residents Ramashish Bhuiyan and Santan Bhuiyan. While Santan Bhuiyan managed to flee, his brother Ramashish Bhuiyan was arrested.
Three More Accused Named in Case
The excise team has identified three additional accused — Pandul, Dada and Uma, all residents of Paton block — who allegedly had their share of illicit liquor stored at the Bhuiyan residence.
Second Major Liquor Haul in Two Weeks
This is the second significant seizure in Palamu within a fortnight. Earlier, the excise team led by Superintendent Sujit Kumar seized more than 18,000 litres of raw spirit, known as grain Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA), used in the manufacture of illicit liquor.