Liquor stock seized from Amul Dairy head's plot in 'dry' Gujarat

Anand, Apr 19: A cache of liquor bottles worth around Rs 5.32 lakh was seized from a plot owned by Congress MLA and Amul Dairy chairman Ramsinh Parmar at Thasra town in the district today, police said.

"A total of 2023 beer bottles worth Rs 4.84 lakh and 18 boxes of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth around Rs 48,200 were seized from Parmar's plot in Thasra town. Police have arrested three persons including a minor under the Prohibition Act," said Thasra police sub-inspector A G Chauhan.

He said one of the trio was a class V student while two others were identified as Vinu Babu Kharad and Pravin Mali. They were unloading the consignment of liquor bottles from an Eicher truck in a godown located inside Parmar's plot when a police team, comprising personnel of Nadiad town crime branch, Special Operation Group (SOG) and local police caught them, Chauhan said.

Gujarat has a sumptuary law in force since its formation in 1960 that proscribes the manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. When contacted, Parmar, who represents Thasra seat in the Legislative Assembly, termed the incident as a "political conspiracy" against him ahead of forthcoming elections to Amul Dairy.

"This is a political conspiracy hatched against me to implicate me in an offence of prohibition and to tarnish my image just before the dairy elections. I am against addiction of liquor and I never consume it..Why will I need such a huge stock (of liquor)," Parmar asked.

He said the seizure of the liquor consignment took place outside his plot and the vehicle did not belong to him. I also don't know the arrested persons," he added.

PTI