CHANDIGARH: In a major development in Haryana’s liquor scam, Ghanshyam Thapa, one of the accused in the case and former manager of NV Distilleries, which has been facing charges of liquor smuggling during Covid-19 lockdown last year, has been murdered in Nepal.
Thapa was absconding in this case and was a key link to the investigation of the entire scam as he had served as manager of the N V Distilleries owned by Ashok Jain, who also is one of the main accused in the case. Jain, the chairman of Rs1,300-crore group owning N V Distilleries, is currently out on bail. The firm has distilleries in both Haryana and Punjab.
A senior cop privy to the investigation of the case confirmed to TOI that Thapa has been murdered in Nepal. The trial, in this case, is pending before the Panipat district court. The death certificate of the absconding accused Thapa is likely to be filed before the trial court on the next date of the hearing..
An FIR with regard to the liquor smuggling scam was registered in February 2020 by Panipat police on receiving secret information that the driver of the truck, with registration number HR-69-A-6639, driving from Karnal was carrying illegal liquor and going towards Bihar or Gujarat.
Huge amount of liquor was seized from truck body
On receipt of this information, the investigating officer called the excise inspector to the spot, along with excise staff and police and the excise department laid a barrier on the national highway.
When the aforesaid truck reached the barrier, the investigating officer signaled the truck to stop. On checking, initially, the team found lime powder and its paperwork. However, a huge amount of liquor was recovered from the body of the truck, driven by Sajjan Singh and accompanied by Gobind, the conductor.
Illicit liquor was unloaded from the truck and it was found to be 640 boxes of Crazy Romeo (NV) quarter plastic packing and 295 boxes of Crazy Romeo (NV) quarter glass packing. Thereafter, the driver and conductor of the truck were arrested and during the investigation, it was found that the duo had been carrying duplicate bills, fake 'bilities' (paperwork) as fake registration number and number plate of the truck. In the FIR, offences under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 IPC for cheating, forgery, and related charges, and some sections of the Excise Act were also added.
After the arrest of the accused, Gobind and Sajjan, they recorded their disclosure statement and nominated Krishan as a person who used to provide them illicit liquor for distribution. After Krishan was arrested, he had nominated former manager Ghanshyam Thapa and thereafter, chairman of the NV Distilleries Ashok Jain was nominated in the FIR.
Even during the inquiry conducted by Haryana authorities, it was revealed that the illicit liquor reported during the Covid-19 lockdown period, was also associated with NV Distilleries.
How it worked
As part of the scam, illicit liquor was supplied to other states at high rates illegally in trucks, containers, and vehicles supplying vegetables.
