70-yr-old involved in bootlegging for over 50 yrs nabbed

New Delhi: A 70-year-old man actively involved in bootlegging for the 55 last years has been arrested from west Delhi, cops said on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Harphool Singh, a resident of JJ colony, Raghubir Nagar.

Delhi Police are investigating the involvement of Singh's family members involved in the bootlegging racket. "He could not think his life without selling liquor. He is suffering from diabetes, blood pressure and both his knees are damaged, but he never failed to stop selling illicit liquor," police said.

On Wednesday, beat staff of Rajouri Garden police station, led by the SHO Inspector Sunil Sharma, caught Singh and recovered 80 quarter bottles of 'Crazy Romeo' brand of whiskey, labelled 'For sale in Arunachal Pradesh only', from his possession.

"He recalled that when he first got involved in bootlegging, one desi quarter used to cost Rs 1.25, which now cost Rs 40. He added that a whiskey quarter was then only Rs 6, which is now of Rs 100. He had first been booked from Tilak Nagar police station and later from Rajouri Garden," a police official said.

A case under sections 33 and 38 of the Delhi Excise Act has been registered at Rajouri Garden police station and investigation has been initiated. Singh was previously involved in more than 20 such cases.

Between 2015 and 2017, Delhi Police seized over 13 lakh bottles of illicit liquor, including alcohol.

In 2015, as many as 1,967 cases were reported under the Excise Act in the Capital.

In 2016, more than 2,000 such cases were filed and more than 2,300 cases were registered in the subsequent year.

Over the last three years, more than 6,000 criminals involved illicit liquor trade were also nabbed by the cops.