The entire nation is on a lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The notorious hooch mafia however seems to have stepped out to cash-in on the demand for liquor in Mira Road.
This is evident from the fact that the Thane (rural) police has registered 15 cases and apprehended around 18 bootleggers who were found to be ferrying country made liquor worth thousands of rupees in Kashimira.
This is apart from stray cases registered at other police stations in the Mira Road and Bhayandar divisions for similar crimes. Vehicles including two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and even luxury cars which were used to transport the liquor from one place to another have been impounded.
Saddled with a daunting task of implementing the lockdown, the overburdened police force is trying hard to weed out the illegalities. However, officials from the excise department appears to be turning a blind eye to the activities.
While the seizures clearly indicate that the hooch brewing units (haath-bhatti) were operational in and around the region, the rise in demand could lead to a tragedy similar to the incident in Malad where nearly 100 people had died after consuming spurious liquor in 2015, sources said.
Meanwhile, cases under the relevant sections of the IPC, Prohibition Act, Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Act and also under the provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Covid-19 Rules has been registered against the accused.
