Pune Excise Dept Tightens Grip: Major Liquor Rackets Busted In Camp And Hinjawadi Ahead Of New Year

Pune: The State excise department tightened its grip on the illegal sale of liquor ahead of Christmas and New Year's celebrations. The department has seized prohibited liquor worth 8 lakh in two different cases.

In a first case On December 24, 2025, officials of the State Excise ‘A’ Division, Pune, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (grey colour, registration number MH-12-KY-6041) near Babajan Chowk, Camp area, within the limits of Lashkar Police Station.

During inspection, sealed bottles of Goa-manufactured liquor prohibited for sale in Maharashtra, including Black Label Scotch and Absolut Vodka were seized along with the vehicle. The accused, Rajesh Bhajanlal Basantani (52), resident of Bhavani Peth, Pune, was arrested. Liquor and the vehicle worth Rs 4,93,200 were seized.

Following the case, during further investigation, a raid was conducted at the residence of the accused in Bhavani Peth, Pune, where sealed bottles of various premium foreign liquor brands such as Absolut Vodka, Bombay Sapphire, Ballantine’s, Jägermeister, Red Label and others were seized. Another accused, Prakash Bhajanlal Basantani, was arrested. Liquor worth Rs 2,97,499 was confiscated.

In this case, two accused arrested and 95 bottles of 32 different brands of tax-evaded liquor along with one four-wheeler valued to Rs 8 lakh were seized. 

Similarly, in the second case, On December 24, 2025, at around 5:10 pm, officials of the State Excise ‘E’ Division, Pune, laid a trap near Estolo Furniture showroom on Wakad–Hinjewadi Road, under the jurisdiction of Hinjewadi Police Station. A grey Maruti Suzuki Ciaz car (registration number MH-14-FM-2076) was intercepted.

Upon inspection, sealed bottles of illegal and counterfeit Scotch whisky, including Ballantine’s Finest Blend, Monkey Shoulder and other foreign liquor brands, were seized. The accused, Parmesh Mahesh Thakkar, resident of Hadapsar, Pune, was arrested.

During further investigation, another accused, Dhanji Jetha Patel, resident of Marunji, Mulshi taluka, was arrested near Wipro Circle while transporting foreign liquor on a two-wheeler. Further searches led to the seizure of empty liquor bottles, fake caps, labels, cartons, mobile phones and vehicles from a house at Maan Chande Road, indicating large-scale manufacturing of spurious liquor.

Regarding the case  two people arrested and counterfeit Scotch liquor, vehicles and other materials worth Rs 6,99,550 were seized.

Atul Kanade, Superintendent of State Excise, Pune, has appealed to citizens to report any information related to illegal liquor manufacturing, transportation or sale. Information can be shared on the toll-free number 1800-233-9999or telephone number 020-26127321.