Excise Department busts illegal liquor racket in Pratapnagar, 170 boxes seized

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Hamirpur, April 11

The Excise and Taxation Department, with support from local police, dismantled an illegal liquor racket in the Pratapnagar area and seized 170 boxes of liquor during a raid conducted on Friday. Officials said the operation targeted an illicit trade being carried out under the cover of a grocery store.

The prime accused, identified as Sunny Sehgal, managed to escape before he could be arrested. Acting on a tip-off, the Excise Department team conducted searches at two grocery shops and recovered five cases of liquor from one location and seven from another. A follow-up search of rented rooms linked to the accused led to the recovery of 158 boxes of country-made and foreign liquor.

Hamirpur Superintendent of Police Balbir Singh Thakur said the investigation traced the illegal operation to a grocery store rented by Suresh Kumar, a resident of Una district. Officials said the racket had been operating for some time and was known locally.

Police have registered a case, and special teams have been formed to trace and arrest the absconding accused. Further raids are expected at other suspected locations as the investigation continues.