BackVadodara police busts high profile liquor party as Gujarat tightens prohibition laws
Former IPL chairman Chirayu Amin was among the 260 people arrested in the raid
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Ahmedabad: As Gujarat moves to tighten prohibition laws, the Vadodara police raided a party at a farm house on the outskirts of the city where liquor was being served and arrested nearly 260 people, including former IPL chairman Chirayu Amin.
In a media statement, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Friday praised the Vadodara police and said the state government remains firm in its resolve to punish violators of liquor prohibition laws.
Police recovered 103 liquor bottles and 116 bottles of beer, worth Rs1,28,950, during the raid conducted on Thursday night at the Akhand farmhouse in Ampad village.
According to a PTI report, 125 men and 134 women were booked.
Last week, the state government passed an ordinance to introduce stricter norms for sale and consumption of alcohol in the state and enhance punishment for offenders. With the legislative assembly not in session, the ordinance came into force after it was promulgated by governor O.P. Kohli earlier this week. Following implementation of the new law, this was the first such raid on a liquor party in the state.
The new ordinance is called Gujarat Prohibition (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and it has made amendments in the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949. The new set of rules call for stringent action against bootleggers, tipplers and unscrupulous officials in Gujarat, where total prohibition is in force.
Some of the key provisions of the new law include a significant increase in the penalty as well as jail terms for those involved in the purchase, sale and transportation of liquor in Gujarat.
Under the new law, accused in such cases would face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs5 lakh instead of three-year punishment specified earlier.
As per the new law, government officials found guilty of protecting bootleggers would be liable to punishment of seven years imprisonment and Rs1 lakh fine.
PTI contributed to this story.
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