KANPUR: Supplying liquor to passengers onboard Darbhanga Express at a premium landed three coach attendants in police dragnet at Kanpur Central Railway Station on Sunday night. Police recovered 150 bottles of two popular Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brands from the train that were to be supplied to passengers.
Government Railway Police (GRP) inspector RK Dwivedi, who led the arrests on the basis of a specific tip-off, told TOI that the three coach attendants identified as Pawan, Ranjit and Golu were on duty at coach numbers B-3, B-7 and B-9 of 02570 Delhi-Darbhanga Humsafar Express (Clone) going from Delhi to Darbhanga.
“The tip-off was that liquor was being made available to passengers for a premium in three specific coaches. We targeted the three coaches and found 150 bottles of Old Monk and Officer’s Choice wrapped in black polythene bags and kept in plastic crates in which attendants are required to carry packed meals meant to be served to the passengers,” Inspector Dwivedi said.
Interrogations of the attendants revealed that they would charge anything from Rs 200 to Rs 250 extra on every 750 ml bottle of liquor. The three confirmed that this racket was underway for quite some time now in some other premium trains as well.
“We have some specific information that we have extracted from the accused during their interrogation. We will work on some information that is linked to the Kanpur route and pass on relevant information of some other routes to our respective counterparts and possibly bust more such rackets in the days to come,” Inspector Dwivedi said.
Police said that the train from which the liquor was seized originated from Delhi and was on its way to Darbhanga and it was also established beyond doubt that the liquor was being sold to passengers on board and was not meant to be smuggled to Bihar where sale of liquor is banned.
“However, passengers carrying bottles into Bihar with themselves was always a possibility and could be a reason that added to the sales,” police said.
