Cuttack, Dec. 13: Hundreds of women ransacked and set ablaze an illegal liquor shop operating in an isolated place at Gandhipalli in Chauliaganj police limits here today.

The illegal liquor outlet was functioning from a bamboo-thatched shanty for around the past six months. The outlet was set on fire by the agitating local women around 11am today who alleged that the police took no action to demolish the hooch den despite several complaints.

Two local persons were engaged in sale of country-made liquor at Gandhipalli near the Mahanadi river embankment.

There was no stock of liquor at the outlet when the women raided the shop. This is the second instance of women pulling down a liquor shop in the city in the recent past.

On February 12, women had demolished a hooch den at Kathodi Vihar in Markatnagar police station area.

"We are against the sale of liquor as it is affecting the lives of our children and the youth. We have been requesting the police to raze the hooch den for long, but in vain. Today, we demolished the den and set it on fire," said Urmila Jena, one of the protesting women.

This morning, the women had first taken out a rally in the locality to protest against the thriving hooch business in the area. Sources said the women took the decision to ransack the shop at a meeting organised by them yesterday.

Resentment was brewing among local women for sometime as many outsiders, mostly goons, were coming to the area after sunset to booze and commit nuisance.

"We repeatedly requested senior officials of the police to demolish the illegal country liquor joint in our locality. But they did not bother to take any action," said Malati, a local resident. #Police claimed that they were trying to nab a local youth who was engaged in sale of illegal country liquor in the area.

"We are trying to ascertain the identity of the youth and others involved in the liquor trade. Appropriate legal action will shortly be taken against them," said a senior officer of Chauliaganj police station.