“After nabbing the main kingpins of poisonous liquor, the SIT has revealed that the alcohol became poison due to improper mixing in the plant of illegal factory in Hamirpur. Seven people died as a result. Among the arrested accused, Gaurav Minhas and Praveen Thakur of Panchrukhi in Kangra are the main kingpins of the adulterated liquor business. Kalu of Sundernagar used to look after the distribution of liquor. Praveen Thakur is the owner of the plant in Hamirpur where poisonous liquor is made. A consignment of 25 tonnes was made here. The factory was run by Praveen in the second floor of his house. Two rooms full of wine boxes were locked from outside, work was done inside. Praveen is said to be related to some leaders associated with the Congress. Gaurav coordinated the entire process from the raw material to the wine making. Liquor was prepared through a network spread over Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu, UP and Chandigarh.
Water, bottle for liquor used to come from Hamirpur and empty box from Parwanoo. AK Tripathi from Jammu had the formula to make liquor. Stickers used to come from Chandigarh, lids used to come from Parwanoo. The spirit used to come in drums from Ambala and Delhi. DIG Mandi Madhusudan Sharma said that after the arrest of four accused on January 20, the police got clues and intensified the investigation by expanding the scope. Now this matter is not inter-district, but inter-state. The ED will also be asked to investigate the movable and immovable properties. Let us inform that the police have so far recovered 6000 bottles from Hamirpur. 25 lakh rupees have been recovered from Gaurav Minhas’s house. VRV stickers have also been recovered. Liquor has been supplied in Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Mandi. Mandi lot has been found poisonous. On the other hand, the police have recovered a large quantity of liquor and raw material from the factory in Nalagarh.
