The Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have arrested two people including an eatery owner and a grocer who were found to be selling and serving alcohol to soliciting customers at their establishments in Bhayandar.
Acting on a tip-off, about liquor being served sans permit, a team under the instructions of API- Kailash Tokle, raided Hotel Anna- an eatery located in the Shiv-Sena lane area of Bhayandar (west) on Thursday evening.
The police found country liquor being sold and served by the eatery owner who has been identified as-Shambhu Mahadev Shetty (69).
While the police were completing the formalities, they got information about a grocery store in the vicinity which was also involved in similar illegal activities. The team immediately swooped down on the grocery store and found a gunny bag stashed with bottles of country liquor.
A person identified as-Chotaram Dhanaram Choudhary (29) who confessed to selling liquor from the store was also taken into custody. The police seized country liquor worth around Rs. 20,000 from both the places. Investigations revealed that both the accused catered to people living in a sprawling slum settlement which is located adjacent to their establishments.
A case under section 65 (E) of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 has been registered against the duo. Further investigations were on. This eatery is amongst several other establishments including – Chinese food joints near beer shops, dhaba’s on the highway, beachfront shacks which have transformed into watering holes sans mandated licenses, even as the excise department, Thane plays blind to the illegalities.
