Coronavirus lockdown: CCB sleuths bust another liquor selling racket in Bengaluru

The central crime branch (CCB) sleuths have busted yet another racket of illegal liquor selling in Bengaluru outskirts on Tuesday night amidst the ongoing lockdown to contain COVID-19 and seized liquor worth Rs 67,000. 

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The police have arrested Shankar, 26, a resident of Nerige village of Anekal taluk in Bengaluru rural, while his four associates are still at large and the police are continuing their efforts to nab them at the earliest. 

Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) said, "The arrested Shankar and his associates had stored liquor in a house and in a car in Madhuranagar in Varthur. Based on the credible information, a team of officials from Special Enquiry squad of CCB zeroed down on Shankar." 

He had stored some liquor in the car to deliver it to customers.

Shankar and his associates had stored the liquor before the liquor outlets sealed down and were indulged in selling it for a higher price to make quick and easy money. We have seized the liquor along with a car worth Rs 6 lakh from Shankar, said Patil. 

An officer part of the raid said, the accused persons were selling liquor at six to seven times higher price than the maximum retail price (MRP). The police commissioner has passed the prohibitory order over lockdown in which liquor and tobacco products sale is banned. This has created huge demand for liquor across the city and people are buying it by paying huge money, the officer added. 

A case has been registered against the accused persons under the Excise Act, The Disaster Management Act and IPC section 188 - disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant. Further investigation is on.