The Supreme Court of India expressed dissatisfaction over the progress in the probe into illicit liquor cases in Punjab.
The Supreme Court disapproved of the Punjab government’s action against the liquor mafia. The court said that the state is treating the issue with “Kid gloves”. The court observed that poor and downtrodden people are the “sufferers” of hooch tragedies.
A bench of justices M R Shah and M M Sundresh said that no serious efforts seem to have been made to reach the real culprits who are in the business of manufacturing and transporting illegal liquor.
Case History
The problem of illicit trade in Punjab gives birth to this case. Hundreds of people lose their lives by drinking spurious liquor. In September 2020, two congress leaders of Punjab broke rank and attacked their own party for being hand-in gloves with the state liquor mafia. The legislator alleged a failure of the state’s administrative machinery and demanded compensation for victims.
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Supreme court remark on the case
The Supreme Court Bench observed that no serious efforts seem to have been made to reach out to the real culprit who is in the business of the manufacturer and transportation of such liquors. They also observed that Cancelling the license and recovery of penalties or duties is not sufficient.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing on behalf of the petitioner alleged the involvement of district police officials, the administration, and the local political leaders in the promotion of the illicit liquor trade.
The Bench was informed that the Department of Excise, in coordination with the police, had carried out illegal extraction and manufacture of illicit liquor. The state government has further claimed that FIR has been registered in all these cases which have been investigated by the police. The status report is also filled out by the police in the court.
Bhushan also pointed out that no criminal proceedings were initiated against the owners. The counsel also drew attention to a reply by an affidavit by the AIG of police in which he disclosed that in the period between 2019 and May 31, 2021, had been registered under the Punjab and Excise Act, 1914.
The bench directed the undersecretary to file a counter on the following issues:
- Whether the owners of distilleries, bottling plants, or breweries whose licenses were reported to have been canceled or on whom penalties or duties were levied prosecuted for offenses under IPC or other offenses?
- Whether the penalties or duties levied been recovered?
- In the three cases, where the challans were reported to have been filed
- Who were the challans filed against?
- The allegation in the FIR
- For what offenses was the challan filed?
- Who has been arrested in the FIR?
