Illegal liquor sale during lockdown: Top excise official shunted in Puducherry

Puducherry, Apr 21 () A deputy commissioner of excisein Puducherry was on Tuesday transferred and an IAS officerreplaced him, a day after five people, including a tahsildar,were arrested for alleged involvement in illegal sale ofliquor during the COVID-19 lockdown here.

A government order said DeputyCommissioner (Excise) J.Dayalane has been transferred and Sub Collector (Revenue-South) Shashwat Saurabh will hold additional charge of thepost with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said it was "a seriouscriminal act" that some licensees chose to use tragic timesto make "quick and big money" and a Special Investigation Teamhas been set up under a special superintendent of police toprobe the matter.

"This transfer shall ensure neutrality in all enquiriesand investigations in recent excise violations," she said.

Dayalane, a Pondicherry Civil Services (PCS) officercadre, should report to the Department of Personnel andAdministrative Reforms for his further posting, UnderSecretary to the department V Jaisankar said in the order.

The sudden transfer came after police unearthed illegalsale of liquor allegedly in connivance with officials of theExcise department and arrested the tahsildar and four others,including two drivers and a clerical staff of the excisedepartment, on Monday.

During the action taken based on a complaint from a MLAthat liquor was being sold illegally during the lockdown tocheck spread of coronavirus, police also seized liquor fromsome of the arrested persons.

Bedi in a release said the new Deputy Excise Commissionerwill now take into possession stock records of all liquorvends from before the lock down and now. Wherever (the stockis) found deficient, the onus to explain the deficiency wouldon the owner and the licensee. "Its a serious criminal act that some licensees chose touse tragic times of disaster to make quick and big money. Itshall now have to be accounted for. The DGP and Sec Excise areclosely over seeing the progress. The arms of the law arelong," she said.

Noting that this kind of liquor sale in the market hadalready led to the suspension and arrest of excise and policeofficers and transfer of some others, Bedi said investigationswould further establish the extent of their involvement. CorVS VS