STATE TIMES NEWS
KATHUA: The excise sleuths on Saturday conducted raids in several villages of Kathua District and in the process destroyed over 2,825 Kg Lahan.
The excise sleuths of Kathua Excise Range conducted series of raids in villages Keengdayal, Sitdayal, Tarafsanji, Tanda, Jeerai, Jakhbardambra, Barnoti, Dhabwal, Chabachak, Banyari, Budhi, Saktachak, Veersochak, Kothyal and adjoining areas falling in Kathua District. The raids were conducted along with Excise Eradication Wing Jammu under the command of ETO, Kathua Excise Range, Sandeep Gupta and ETO Eradication, Jammu Suresh Sharma.
Similar raids were conducted by the excise team of Excise Range (South) Jammu in Deoli, Makhanpur, Dablehar, Tarachak, Salehar, Phinder and adjoining areas of R.S Pura and Bishnah.
In the process 2,825 Kg of Lahan, 137 bottles and 269 pouches of illicit liqour prepared from Lahan, which is highly injurious to health, was recovered by the raiding teams and later destroyed on spot. The raiding team also recovered two working stills, one by team Kathua and one by team of excise south Jammu, used for preparation of illicit liquor which were also destroyed.
Two persons namely Rakesh Kumar, son of Amar Nath of Barnoti, Kathua and Bittu Lal, son of Ram Lal Sansi of Tarachak, R.S Pura were arrested under section 48 of the J and K Excise Act, 1958. “The department has initiated multi-pronged strategy to arrest the menace of illicit distillation of liquor,” Deputy Excise Commissioner, Executive, Jammu Mohammed Shahid Saleem said adding that inspection teams have been activated and there shall be no laxity for those who violate the law.
