8 held in Gujarat for manufacture, sale of beer in guise of Ayurvedic syrup

December 07, 2023 23:54

Eight persons were arrested in Devbhumi Dwarka in Gujarat for allegedly manufacturing and selling prohibited alcoholic beer in the guise of Ayurvedic syrup, a police official said on Thursday.

The racket was underway since 2020 and the accused had sold nearly 2 crore syrup-cum-beer bottles worth Rs 42 crore in the previous financial year alone, said Devbhumi Dwarka superintendent of police Nitesh Pandey.

Among those arrested was one Sunil Kakkad, who used to handle the production and marketing of the syrup, which was mainly sold over the counter in colourful bottles at paan shops in Saurashtra region, said Pandey, adding people used to buy it knowing it will give them a 'kick' just like beer.

The other seven who have been held include dealers and distributors of the syrup as well as close aides of main accused Sanjay Shah, who set up a factory in Silvassa in the neighbouring Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli three years ago to produce this drink, he said.

Sanjay Shah, former Gujarat prohibition and excise officer Mehul Dodiya, Shah's close aide Rajesh Dodke and one Pankaj Vaghela are absconding, the official informed.

"Three months ago, we had seized some Ayurvedic syrup bottles from a shop in Okha. Recently, the FSL confirmed the alcohol content in the syrup was more than the permissible limit and that the GST bills were also fake. We then lodged two different FIRs a few days ago and subsequently nabbed eight persons. Kakkad was nabbed in the past by the CBI in another case," Pandey told reporters. -- PTI

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