MP police widen liquor smuggling probe after officer’s death

Indore: A day after a police officer was killed while trying to intercept a truck carrying illicit liquor in Madhya Pradesh, police have expanded their investigation across the state and neighbouring Gujarat to track down the absconding driver, officials said on Tuesday.

Police have arrested three persons, including the alleged kingpin of a bootlegging network, while a team has been sent to Gujarat, where truck driver Gajendra alias Akku Rawat is suspected to be hiding.

Khategaon Station House Officer (SHO) Dilip Puri was killed and a constable injured while they were trying to intercept a truck carrying 1,800 litres of illicit liquor on the Indore-Betul Highway on Monday.

Puri had reached the highway after receiving information about liquor smuggling and tried to question the driver of a truck parked near a roadside eatery. The driver allegedly drove over the road divider in an attempt to escape, and the truck’s rear wheel ran over the police officer.

Police have arrested Rahul Jaiswal, who manages a liquor shop, Keram Singh Changod and Vijay Rao. A reward of Rs 10,000 has also been announced for the arrest of each absconding accused, officials said.

“We will completely expose the illegal liquor smuggling network, which stretches from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat. To do this, we are connecting all the links to reach its members,” Dewas Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra told PTI.

Efforts are being made to gather as much scientific evidence as possible in the case involving the police station in-charge who was crushed to death by a truck carrying more than 1,800 litres of illicit liquor, he said.

Police teams have been sent to Alirajpur, Dhar, Jhabua, Dewas and Indore districts to search for Rawat, who has previously lived in these areas, officials said.

Police are also gathering information about the driver’s relatives and contacts. A team has been sent to Gujarat on suspicion that he may be hiding in the neighbouring state, they said.

According to police, Jaiswal is accused of operating the liquor smuggling network from Timarni in Harda district to Gujarat, while Keram Singh allegedly provided the truck to Rawat for the smuggling operation.

Vijay Rao has reportedly admitted to working for Jaiswal, they said.

An official said the licences of three liquor shops operating in Harda district in the name of Patendra Jaiswal, who is linked to the smuggling network, had been suspended.

An assistant district excise officer and two constables have also been suspended, he said.

Cases involving attempts to smuggle illicit liquor into Gujarat, a ‘dry state’, through the border districts of western Madhya Pradesh continue to emerge, officials said.

Smugglers build secret compartments in trucks, containers and tankers to conceal liquor consignments. The cartons are often hidden among consignments of animal feed, grains, cement, vegetables and other goods to evade law enforcement agencies, they said.

When security is tightened on major highways, smugglers use unpaved rural and interior routes to transport illicit liquor, officials said.