Amended Excise Act allows state to auction seized vehicles

Kolkata: The Excise department brought an amendment in its Act empowering it to auction the vehicles seized during raids against illicit liquor and return the money to the owners if they are not convicted in the trial.

“The investment for the vehicle is the only substantial investment in such a spurious liquor business. The other investments involved are insignificant. Hence, if the vehicle caught with such illicitly

distilled liquor is auctioned when it is in good condition, an adequate sum can be recovered from it.

Most importantly, the action will instill a sense of fear of losing the vehicle in a person who gives his vehicle against rent for such illegal business,” said an Excise department official. Cases associated with such illegal business usually continue for a long time and during the trial, the seized vehicle remains abandoned in open spaces and gets damaged. In the past five years, 2000 odd vehicles, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers, impounded by the Excise department during raids, have been lying abandoned in different police stations and garages of the department, suffering irreparable damage.

The official said in most cases, vehicle owners claim ignorance about their vehicle being used for such illegal business. Although in some cases it was found to be true, there were instances where the same vehicles were involved in repeated offences. Excise department sources said illicit liquor business has been curbed to a certain extent through continuous raids but in certain pockets of Dooars in North Bengal and in areas like Singur and its adjacent areas in East Burdwan it is still rampant. Illicit liquor has an adverse impact on public health and in some cases, proved to be fatal too.