Ranpur: Acting on a tip-off, locals raided an illegal country liquor distilling unit and detained its owner and penalized him at Narasinghpur village under Ranpur police limits in Nayagarh district Tuesday.
On finding Mochia Sahu (45) illegally preparing country liquor, the villagers seized over 500 litres of fermented brew and other material used in preparation of liquor.
Later, they convened a gram sabha at night and imposed a penalty of `55,000 on Sahu after holding him guilty for the act. Sahu immediately deposited the amount. They gave a warning to him and asked him to refrain from such illegal activities in future.
The villagers even made him submit a written undertaking in this regard.
“We have launched an all out war against illegal hooch trade in the area, but there is no
cooperation from the excise officials who have so far remained silent on the issue,” the villagers alleged.
According to reports, a few months back, three persons had died after consuming spurious liquor in the area. The incident had flared up tension among villagers who had urged the excise officials to take stern action against hooch traders, but nothing was done in this direction, the villagers said.
They even imposed a complete ban on preparation and sale of hooch in the village. However, hooch traders in connivance with excise officials continued to prepare liquor.
Incensed over the menace and excise department’s apathy, the villagers raided the liquor unit on a riverside and caught Sahu preparing the brew.
Sources said illegal hooch traders in this block prepare country liquor at deserted places like forests and sell the product in villages or smuggle them out.
Villagers alleged the illegal business has flourished due to a tacit understanding between hooch traders and excise officials.
When contacted, excise inspector Kumarbar Pattanik said he is unable to visit the village as he is not in station. He, however, requested the villagers not to take the law into their hands and hand over Sahu to the police.
The surprise onslaught by the vigilant villagers has triggered panic among illegal hooch traders in the area. PNN
