In continuance with their crackdown against the notorious liquor mafia, the Thane (Rural) Police has apprehended a 30-year-old bootlegger who had illegally stocked country liquor in the bathroom of his flat in the MHADA transit building in the Indralok area of Bhayandar (east).
Acting on a specific tip-off, a team from the Navghar Police Station, led by PSI Pramod Patil under the instructions of Senior Police Inspector Sampatrao Patil, swooped down on the apartment on Thursday. While searching the flat, the police team stumbled upon two gunny bags which were hidden in the bathroom and were found to be filled with bottles of country liquor worth more than Rs. 8,000.
The bootlegger who has been identified as Luv Babu Chauhan (30) was taken into custody and booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prohibition Act. This is apart from being slapped with sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Act and Maharashtra Covid Rules 2020.
In another hooch related case a 50-year-old woman has landed in the custody of the Bhayandar Police after she was caught red handed while selling illicit liquor in Murdha village on Friday.
Further investigations are on.
While the excise department continues to play blind, the Thane (rural) police led by SP Dr. Shivaji Rathod has been busting illicit liquor brewing units (haath-bhatti) and taking action against bootleggers, who were found to be ferrying and selling country made liquor. Despite the pandemic, the notorious liquor mafia appears to have continued with their nefarious activities, posing a serious threat to human life.
