Jamshedpur: In a major crackdown on illegal liquor trade, the Excise Department seized foreign liquor worth approximately ₹10 lakh during a raid conducted on Tuesday evening near the Turiabeda-Simuldanga road under MGM police station limits.
Acting on a tip-off received by the Assistant Commissioner of Excise, a team raided the area and intercepted a small cargo vehicle (Ashok Leyland, model: Bada Dost) along with two autorickshaws. The team discovered 180 crates of Royal Gold Cup Whiskey hidden beneath sacks of straw in the cargo vehicle, while three additional crates were found loaded in the autorickshaws.
As the excise team approached, the drivers of the vehicles attempted to flee. However, the swift action of the jawans led to the arrest of the two autorickshaw drivers, while the cargo vehicle driver managed to escape into the nearby forest.
During initial questioning, the arrested individuals revealed that they had been summoned by Manoj Verma alias Chikna, a known associate of notorious liquor smuggler Neeraj Gupta, to distribute the liquor across the city. The seized consignment was allegedly ordered from Ranchi by Neeraj Gupta and Nikhil Singh alias Sonu Singh.
The police have booked all involved individuals under relevant sections of the Excise Act. While two accused, Bablu Keshri and Sanjay Mallick, have been sent to judicial custody, three others—Neeraj Gupta, Nikhil Singh, and Manoj Verma—are currently absconding.
List of Accused:Nikhil Kumar Singh alias Sonu Singh, S/o Akhileshwar Singh, Sahara City Azad Basti, Mango (Absconding),Neeraj Gupta, S/o Jagdish Gupta, Sitaramdera (Absconding), Manoj Verma alias Chikna, S/o Jagdish Verma, Post Office Road, Mango(Absconding), Bablu Keshri, S/o Ramji Keshri, Adarsh Nagar, Mango (In Jail),Sanjay Mallick, S/o Robin Mallick, Dimna Basti (In Jail)
