Congress leader caught with illicit liquor, allegedly set free

With stern action already taken against over a half-a-dozen policemen of Pratapgarh for giving patronage to liquor mafia, now the Rae Bareli police courted controversy after they allegedly released a local Congress leader and his close associate held along with half-a-dozen others for running an illicit liquor factory under the jurisdiction of Shivgarh police station.

The Congress leader is currently block president and said to be indulging in supply of illicit liquor to influence the voters in the ongoing panchayat elections. His wife and mother are contesting the election of village head and panchayat members.

Reports said that the Congress leader and two of his henchmen were detained by the Bachhrawan police in Baiti area (near Bade Baba Mandir) in Shivgarh when they were carrying illicit liquor to distribute it amongst the voters. The three were reportedly brought to the police station from where two, including the Congress block president, were set free by the cops. The two are said to have used their “connection” to go scot free.

Sources said that the cops detained one of their associates, Shailendra Jaiswal aka Bikku, and grilled him regarding the source of liquor recovered from Congress leader. Later the police claimed to have raided a place in Niblapur Bhadrak under the Shivgarh police station and recovered 189 cartons of illicit liquor, items used to make and seal the liquor bottles, all worth Rs 15 lakh.

The cops said that the place was used for making illicit liquor and while some members managed to escape, half-a-dozen people were held and they had named Shailendra Jaiswal, already detained at the police station. The others arrested included Ravi Jaiswal, Deshraj Prajapati, Matasher Yadav, Hema aka Lucky etc.

Three vehicles, which included a Bolero and Scorpio, were also recovered. Interestingly, Station House Officer of Bachhrawan, Rakesh, claimed before the media persons that the raids were conducted along with the officials of Excise Department and denied that anyone was released from the police station.