DCW summons Excise official over illegal sale of alcohol

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Friday issued summons to the Deputy Commissioner of the Excise Department to get details about the action taken in the matter of liquor being sold illegally in some parts of the city.

This came in the wake of a brutal attack on a woman who helped the Commission bust a bootlegging racket in a house in Narela of north Delhi on Wednesday. A day later, she was "beaten up and paraded naked", according to the DCW.

The officer has been summoned to appear before the commission on December 12.

The commission has asked for details on number of cases registered, penalties imposed, and raids conducted in Narela for selling liquor in the past five years, saying it had found liquor with "Sale in Haryana Only" tags being sold in several houses during inspections in Jahangirpuri, Holambi Kalan, Bhalaswa Dairy and Narela areas.

"Please explain as to how illegal liquor was produced and sold in Delhi," the notice said.

It questioned the steps taken by the department to prevent smuggling of illicit liquor from neighbouring states to Delhi and asked for details of action against the smugglers.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had gone to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital to meet the victim and subsequently met Lt Gov Anil Baijal who assured the Chief Minister for a "swift investigation" and "strong punishment" for the guilty.

Baijal tweeted that he had directed the Police Commissioner on Thursday evening "to take strict action in the Narela incident against culprits and police officials, if found remiss. FIR has been registered and six accused already arrested".

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal responded to him saying that apart from police protection to the woman and her family, "further important steps should be taken to curb rampant sale of illegal liquor and drugs in Delhi".

--IANS

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