The Chittoor police busted an inter-State gang allegedly involved in producing and selling spurious liquor, and seized material worth ₹18 lakh, apart from an auto and a system.
According to information, as a sequel to the arrest of a couple of youth and seizure of some fake defence liquor bottles under Chittoor rural police limits on October 22, the Chittoor SP, S. Senthi Kumar, formed a special party to probe the case.
During investigation, it was found that one Mari Rajan, alias Pandiyan (56), who retired as Havildar in the Indian Army in 2000 and settled in Goa, started procuring caps and empty bottles with the help of a few working at a liquor-bottle manufacturing unit.
With the help of a printer, identified as Ramesh from Bengaluru, Pandiyan procured labels of branded liquor that is usually supplied to ex-servicemen, and filled the bottles with locally made, cheap liquor. The bottles would then be placed in iron barrels meant for packing paint. Another acquaintance, one Kesava Murthy, also from Bengaluru, joined hands with Pandiyan. Murthy would take care of the transportation of the bottles in the guise of paint barrels to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and A.P.
Special parties raided the locations at Goa and Bengaluru during the last three days and held Pandiyan, Murthy and Ramesh. A luggage auto and a CPU was also seized from the trio. The SP said that search for others involved in the deal is on. A case was registered and the trio were brought to Chittoor on transit warrants and remanded.
