Three persons, including a local TV channel stringer, were arrested by the Bolarum Police for transporting Rs. 1.4 lakh worth thirty-two bottles of whiskey on Saturday.
The Police intercepted a Hyundai Verna car that did not have front registration plate ridden by the stringer B Venugopal Reddy, with his friend Sunil and his uncle Ranga. The vehicle was held by the Police at the Bolarum Checkpost at around 12 noon, and 32 bottles of a different brand of whiskey were found in the vehicle’s dickey.
The Bolarum police station issued a statement in which they have stated that a case has been registered against the trio under section 188, 269, 270 of the IPC section 51 of Disaster Management Act, and section 34-a of the Excise Act.
When the accused were questioned, they told the Police that they had purchased the liquor on the 1st March as there was a family function that was scheduled on 2nd March. But due to a death in the family, the scheduled event got canceled. They were transporting the liquor bottles on Saturday to the house of a relative in Ghatkesar for soon to be organized family function.
Under section 41 of CrPC, a notice was issued against the accused, asking them to appear for questioning. A separate case has been registered against the Venugopal Reddy by Trimulgherry Traffic, as it has been found that against the accuse, there was ten traffic challans pending.
A north zone police official stated that the accused informed that they were not indulging in the illegal sale of the liquor. The vehicle came into their notice as it was frequently passing through the checkpoints.
In another incident, the Ramagundam police arrested a bootlegger and have apprehended 1890 bottles of liquor that were hidden in the rice mill. At a rice mill owned by G Santosh at Boipally in Tandur Mandal of Mancherial district, the Police conducted a surprise check where they found 180 bottles of beer and whiskey.
Santosh, on being questioned by Police, confessed that he had procured the liquor from associates of local liquor stores so that he can sell them during the lockdown.