GNS JAMMU, Dec : Excise Commissioner Vineeta Gupta has directed Deputy Commissioner Excise (Executive) Onkar Nath to hold an inquiry as to how 14 wine shops have been allotted within one family, some of which were running without No Objection Certificate (NOC) or forged NOC.
“Though there are some legal lacunas, the Excise Department was taking legal opinion to look into all aspects of the allotment to find out whether 14 wine shops besides two liquor depots and one bottling plant could be allotted within one family’’, official sources said.
They said the Deputy Commissioner (Executive) has been asked to probe the nexus leading to allotment of 14 wine shops, two liquor depots and one bottling plant within the family of Raj Daluja alias Raji, the Editor of State Times, creating a monopoly in the trade especially that of a person, who had very strong criminal background.
The Excise Department was also seeking legal opinion on how to go ahead with breaking the nexus of liquor mafia created by Raji within the Department.
Sources said it was part of this nexus that Raji managed to obtain such a large number of wine shops, liquor depots and bottling plants on his own name and the name of his family members and relatives while keeping overall control with him.
Moreover, sources said, one of the Bar and shop of Raji, running with name and style of Sahil Bar and Restaurant and Ram Pyari wine shop, just opposite Police Memorial at Railway Station, even didn’t have the NOC of the District Magistrate. The Northern Railways had also strongly objected to the opening of wine shop and Bar outside the Railway Station.
The CJM Jammu has already referred the case of Neelam Bar in Poonch to the Crime Branch. In this case also, the original licensee Govind Thakur had alleged that the name of Neelam Daluja (sister-in-law of Raji) has been forcibly included in the license without his knowledge.
Raji was already facing criminal charges in the case of shifting of Grapes wine shop in which he had fudged the signatures of former Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to procure a fake NOC for shifting of the shop to Gorkha Nagar, Bahu Fort.
Former Excise Commissioner Masaud Samoon vide his letter No. 124-Off/Exc-Sgr/937-40 had provisionally renewed the license of Grapes Wine Shop for 2004-05 subject to the outcome of the enquiry report.
According to sources, a former Finance Secretary had framed some rules in the Excise Department in a bid to give benefits to the liquor mafia being run by Raj Daluja alias Raji due to monetary and other considerations.
The Government was now looking into the legal lacunas to ensure that the nexus of liquor mafia in the trade was broken.
The Excise Department has also sought information from the RTO Jammu as to whether any permission has been given to the vehicles to use the name of State Times while transporting liquor from one place to another.
RTO Jammu Varinder Singh Slathia has denied having issued any such permission.
The Excise Department had sought the information for taking action, sources said.
They said the Deputy Commissioner (Executive) has been asked to probe the nexus leading to allotment of 14 wine shops, two liquor depots and one bottling plant within the family of Raj Daluja alias Raji, the Editor of State Times, creating a monopoly in the trade especially that of a person, who had very strong criminal background.
The Excise Department was also seeking legal opinion on how to go ahead with breaking the nexus of liquor mafia created by Raji within the Department.
Sources said it was part of this nexus that Raji managed to obtain such a large number of wine shops, liquor depots and bottling plants on his own name and the name of his family members and relatives while keeping overall control with him.
Moreover, sources said, one of the Bar and shop of Raji, running with name and style of Sahil Bar and Restaurant and Ram Pyari wine shop, just opposite Police Memorial at Railway Station, even didn’t have the NOC of the District Magistrate. The Northern Railways had also strongly objected to the opening of wine shop and Bar outside the Railway Station.
The CJM Jammu has already referred the case of Neelam Bar in Poonch to the Crime Branch. In this case also, the original licensee Govind Thakur had alleged that the name of Neelam Daluja (sister-in-law of Raji) has been forcibly included in the license without his knowledge.
Raji was already facing criminal charges in the case of shifting of Grapes wine shop in which he had fudged the signatures of former Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to procure a fake NOC for shifting of the shop to Gorkha Nagar, Bahu Fort.
Former Excise Commissioner Masaud Samoon vide his letter No. 124-Off/Exc-Sgr/937-40 had provisionally renewed the license of Grapes Wine Shop for 2004-05 subject to the outcome of the enquiry report.
According to sources, a former Finance Secretary had framed some rules in the Excise Department in a bid to give benefits to the liquor mafia being run by Raj Daluja alias Raji due to monetary and other considerations.
The Government was now looking into the legal lacunas to ensure that the nexus of liquor mafia in the trade was broken.
The Excise Department has also sought information from the RTO Jammu as to whether any permission has been given to the vehicles to use the name of State Times while transporting liquor from one place to another.
RTO Jammu Varinder Singh Slathia has denied having issued any such permission.
The Excise Department had sought the information for taking action, sources said.
Comments
Post a Comment