Excise dept registers 5 cases in Kukshi, seizes illicit liquor and mahua wash worth Rs 3.62 lakh

The excise department is running a special drive in the district against the making, storing and selling of illicit liquor. The drive is being carried out on the directions of Collector Rajeev Ranjan Meena. On Thursday, action was taken in Kukshi excise circle and five cases were registered.

The action was carried out under the guidance of Assistant Excise Commissioner Deepak Awasthi and led by Assistant District Excise Officer Mohanlal Bhayal. The department's team acted against illicit liquor sites operating along rivers and streams at Sitlamata, Barud Faliya, the Gogaon riverbank, Talab Faliya, Makdawani and Dhanora.

The team recovered 85 litres of hand-furnace liquor and 3,500 kg of mahua lahan (fermented wash) from the spot. After samples of the mahua lahan were taken, the rest was destroyed on the spot.

Five cases have been registered against unknown persons under Section 34(1)(F) of the Madhya Pradesh Excise Act, 1915 (amended 2000), and an investigation has begun. The seized liquor and mahua lahan are estimated to be worth about Rs 3 lakh 62 thousand 750.

Assistant District Excise Officer C.K. Sahu, excise sub-inspectors Renu Bhinde, Ekta Sonkar, Chetan Ved and Avinash Bhuria, and excise head constables Ratna Amliyar and Padma Baghel took part in the action. Staff from the Manawar, Gandhwani and Dharampuri excise circles also accompanied the team.