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Bhubaneswar, July 24: Authorities of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation yesterday demolished an illegal foreign liquor shop that set off a demolition drive in the Kharavela Nagar area close to a private hospital.
Later, police arrived at the spot and seized a large consignment of liquor, condoms and even syringes, possibly used for taking drug shots.
However, the shop with a licence to operate elsewhere, but had been operating here since long. On July 21, The Telegraph carried a report about proliferation of liquor vends in the city.
“The raid has exposed the nexus among crime, prostitution, drugs and liquor,” said a local resident. He also said that the authorities had turned a blind eye towards the fact that the liquor outlet was near a housing complex, a temple and a hospital. “The housing complex has 246 flats in three blocks and with another block coming up, there will be 80 more flats. But, the entrance roads remain blocked on all sides. The 40-foot road was nowhere to be seen. Even during an emergency, there is no proper exit way,” he said.
Deputy municipal commissioner, Priyadarshi Mohapatra said: “All major roads at Kharavela Nagar (in ward No. 43) are encroached. A massive area was made free from the illegal occupation.”
Terming it as one of the major eviction drives in the recent past undertaken by the corporation, he said it started at 9am and continued till 3pm.
“All illegal encroachments on the roads in ward No. 43 will be made free and new roads will be laid or repaired soon. As the area belongs to one of the central locality near the railway station, we are going to make it happen soon,” he said.
Local councillor Gurucharan Sahu said: “Four months ago, the opening of a liquor shop was opposed and the plan stalled. But, as the person was having permission, he could manage to open it later. At Kharavela Nagar, many areas like backside of the Keshari Hotel are encroaching on drains. Encroachment by the rag pickers’ colony with their temporary yards has also caused problem and it has to be shifted from the ward to the city outskirts. It needs more political and administrative will power.”
In another development, the owner of the raided liquor shop was sent to Jharapada special jail after a local court today rejected his bail plea. The police officers said the liquor shop had encroached on a public road, causing problem for the local residents. The Kharavela Nagar Police had arrested the shop owner.
The police seized 800 bottles of liquor worth more than Rs 2 lakh. They also seized some condom packets and used syringes. A senior police officer said they had suspected that the customers used to be provided with drugs. They also suspected a sex racket going on there.
Yesterday’s raid was a bolt from the blue for the shop owner, as he had not been given any prior information. Though the seizure of items indicated that a sex and drug-peddling racket had been going on at the center of the city, the police remained clueless.
Deputy commissioner of police Nitinjeet Singh said the liquor shop owner had been running the illegal shop having no license.
“The license he produced before the police belonged to another person. Moreover, it was written on the license to set the shop at Sriya Square. But, he opened his shop at another place,” said Singh.
The owner was booked under the Central Excise Act. However, the excise department officers said the shop was not illegal. “As per the law, we had given him permission for a particular locality. His shop was in the same locality,” said excise superintendent Laxmikanta Behera.
He also said that the shop owner had a valid license.
