Illegal liquor sale during lockdown: Top excise official shunted in Puducherry

A deputy commissioner of excise

in Puducherry was on Tuesday transferred and an IAS officer replaced him, a day after five people, including a tahsildar, were arrested for alleged involvement in illegal sale of liquor during the COVID-19 lockdown here.

A government order said DeputyCommissioner (Excise) J. Dayalane has been transferred and Sub Collector (Revenue- South) Shashwat Saurabh will hold additional charge of the post with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said it was "a serious criminal act" that some licensees chose to use tragic times to make "quick and big money" and a Special Investigation Team has been set up under a special superintendent of police to probe the matter.

 

"This transfer shall ensure neutrality in all enquiries and investigations in recent excise violations," she said.

Dayalane, a Pondicherry Civil Services (PCS) officer cadre, should report to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms for his further posting, Under Secretary to the department V Jaisankar said in the order.

The sudden transfer came after police unearthed illegal sale of liquor allegedly in connivance with officials of the Excise department and arrested the tahsildar and four others, including two drivers and a clerical staff of the excise department, on Monday.

During the action taken based on a complaint from a MLA that liquor was being sold illegally during the lockdown to check spread of coronavirus, police also seized liquor from some of the arrested persons.

Bedi in a release said the new Deputy Excise Commissioner will now take into possession stock records of all liquor vends from before the lock down and now. Wherever (the stock is) found deficient, the onus to explain the deficiency would on the owner and the licensee.

"Its a serious criminal act that some licensees chose to use tragic times of disaster to make quick and big money. It shall now have to be accounted for. The DGP and Sec Excise are closely over seeing the progress. The arms of the law are long," she said.

Noting that this kind of liquor sale in the market had already led to the suspension and arrest of excise and police officers and transfer of some others, Bedi said investigations would further establish the extent of their involvement.