Cop’s murder exposes parallel liquor trade in city

Bootleggers smuggle liquor from Gurugram and sell it in the Capital

May 27, 2019 01:45 am | Updated 01:45 am IST - NEW DELHI

The murder of a Delhi police sub-inspector in Shahdara’s Vivek Vihar by an alleged bootlegger has exposed a parallel liquor trade in the city.

On May 19, 58-year-old Delhi Police sub-inspector Raj Kumar was beaten to death by an alleged bootlegger when he was allegedly filming the illegal activity on his mobile phone.

Mr. Kumar’s daughter Vaishali Rajput said that people often bang doors of houses in their area while searching for liquor. Thus the area, she said, was unsafe for women. “My father tried to raise the issue with bootleggers in the locality but he was killed. Bootleggers are a nuisance here but they operate fearlessly hand in glove with the local police. I lost my father but I do not want this to happen to others,” said Ms. Rajput.

Prices are doubled

Explaining their business model, a bootlegger, who wished not to be named, said that he gets a carton of whiskey that has 48 quarters for ₹2,100 from Gurugram.

He then sells it for ₹90 per quarter, making almost double the money, in Delhi.

“Bootlegging is a risky business and we often lose our vehicle on being caught. We have shifted to the business of drugs [ganja] and betting as it gives us more profit and involves less risk. The beat constable in my area knows about it and we had a deal on it. The constable says ‘Just do not do it in front of me’,” the bootlegger said.

A policeman, who has carried out several operations in the city to stop sale and smuggling of liquor, claimed that bootleggers are active all over the city, especially in JJ clusters.

“The police are strict regarding manufacturing of liquor in the city. So the people involved in the trade smuggle it from Gurugram and sell it in the city after doubling the rates. They mostly sell quarter and half bottles,” said the police officer.

Disclosing how bootleggers run their illegal liquor trade, a police officer said that they purchase liquor from L1 (wholesale) shops in Gurugram and smuggle it to the Capital on motorcycles, to avoid getting caught by the police.

“We rarely receive tip-offs from Gurugram Police or shop owners regarding big consignments in Delhi as shop owners fear losing ‘big customers’,” said the officer.

Modus operandi

Explaining the modus operandi of bootleggers, the officer said that to attract potential customers, they paint a wall of their house green or blue. “Men in the family stay outside and handle the smuggling part, while women handle the customers. Children play outside the house and keep a watch and inform others in case they notice any policeman,” said the police officer.

“People who purchase liquor from the outlets of the bootleggers even once get addicted to them because of the availability. They double the rates and sell liquor round the clock. They also often hide liquor in their neighbours’ house or vehicles parked in the locality,” said a police officer.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.