Excise Dept’s ‘Liquor Seizure’ Show Falls Flat: No Data on Arrests, Fines, or Convictions; Gold Smuggling by Jewelers Ignored Too
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Excise Department is busy patting its back after seizing 5438.771 bulk litres of illicit liquor and destroying 18,743 litres of lahan this year.
But let’s be clear — this is just surface-level clean-up.
No data on arrests, no word on how many licenses were canceled, and not a single figure on fines recovered.
It’s a flashy press release, but no one’s telling how many liquor mafia were actually put behind bars.
No court convictions, no follow-through. In fact, most of the seizures involve only petty bootleggers, small-time smugglers working at the fringes.
The big fish — politically connected liquor syndicates — remain untouched.
Hooch Deaths, No Justice
After the Sundernagar hooch tragedy in Mandi that killed over 30 people, one would expect systemic changes.
Instead, it’s been business as usual. No names made public, no convictions confirmed, and no departmental accountability.
The so-called crackdown is turning out to be just a cosmetic exercise, while the liquor mafia — shielded by political blessings — continues to operate freely across the state.
Gold Smuggling? Deafening Silence from Excise
During election season, the department seized several kilograms of illegal gold. Yet, no action followed, no jeweler was named or nailed.
There is a complete silence on that front. Is it that gold is smuggled during elections?
In cities like Shimla, Solan, and Mandi, where jewelers are openly looting customers amid skyrocketing prices, Excise officers have become fence-sitters.
Every year, there is an edition to jewelers market in Himachal.
The silence is not accidental — it’s the result of a well-oiled nexus between corrupt officials and high-profile jewelers, insiders allege.
PR vs Real Enforcement
Excise Commissioner Yunus may be promising strict action, but the public sees through the charade.
Without naming and shaming the real culprits, this "crackdown" looks more like PR window dressing.
Where is the data on jail terms, license revocations, or major fines?
Time for Real Transparency
The truth is bitter — lahan and illegal liquor seizures are small-time busts.
They make headlines but don’t touch the roots.
The real powerbrokers — liquor cartels with political links — are never touched.
And unless the department walks the talk with concrete, public accountability, the whole exercise will remain just that — a show.
#LiquorMafiaNexus #ExciseCoverUp #HoochTragedyJusticeDenied #GoldSmugglingIgnored
