Bhopal: The employees of liquor contractors, who are now jobless, have become active in black marketing liquor.
Along the borders of roads connecting Bhopal to Sehore or Raisen district, there are at least a dozen men involved in black marketing liquor. They mostly purchase the liquor from Khajuri Sadak, Parwalia, Misrod Road, Ratibad and Bhanpur and sell it at a higher rate to people in Bhopal.
Bhopal police registered 26 cases of illegal liquor sale on Saturday, while the average number of cases remains around 20 in a day. But, the practice is still rampant due to the nexus that brings the liquor from outside.
Police sources said that in local parlance, the black marketeers are known as ‘Pehelwans’. Earlier, they worked for the various liquor contractors and informed police about liquor smuggling in their area, as no liquor contractor wants illegal sale of liquor in their area. But now that they are unemployed they are using their contacts to black-market liquor. The sale is done clandestinely and one usually has to give a reference from whom they got the number. Then the quantity, rate and place of delivery are negotiated over the phone.
The cops are finding it difficult to stop the black marketing now as most of the force is busy enforcing the curfew.
Sources said in almost all the cases where police have arrested and booked accused involved in the illegal sale of liquor, they found the liquor was brought from either Sehore or Raisen district. In smaller districts, it is easier to bring out liquor from closed shops. The liquor is sold in Bhopal at higher rates.
Recently, in Bhopal also, there has been a case where employees of a wine shop were arrested while they were secretly trying to bring out liquor from the shop.
