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Seven persons have died in Pimpri Chinchwad after consuming suspected spurious liquor, while a similar angle is being probed in the deaths of three individuals in Pune in 24 hours, officials said on Friday. Eight persons have been detained in connection with the deaths in Pimpri Chinchwad, while three men suspected of consuming poisonous liquor are undergoing treatment at a hospital there, officials said. Speaking to the media, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he has ordered an inquiry into the seven deaths due to suspected hooch consumption. A total of eight persons, including a key bootlegger, have been detained in connection with the alleged supply of methanol-laced liquor to the Phugewadi area in Pimpri Chinchwad, said police. "Following multiple deaths in Phugewadi, we launched a probe. We found that seven persons have died so far due to suspected consumption of toxic liquor, and three others are undergoing treatment," said Sandip Atole, Deputy Commissioner of
The Karnataka government has implemented an Alcohol-in-Beverage (AIB)-based excise duty structure in the state and revised the rates of liquor. In a press note issued on Sunday, the State Excise Department said the new taxation structure, which has been done for the first time in India in line with the 2026-27 Budget announcement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was aimed at rationalising liquor pricing, making alcoholic beverages available at cheaper rates for consumers in Karnataka and aligning prices with neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Kerala. "For the first time in India, the AIB-based excise duty structure has been implemented in Karnataka from May 11, 2026. It is globally recognised as the gold standard for alcohol taxation," the department said. Under the new policy, the government-administered price fixation has been completely deregulated, it said, and added that product placement within slabs has been left to the ...
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court on Thursday said she "cannot stay silent" and will initiate contempt proceedings against some of the discharged accused in the liquor policy case for posting vilifying and defamatory material against her. Justice Sharma said she will pronounce an order on this aspect around 5 pm. "It has come to my notice that extremely vilifying, extremely contemptuous, and defamatory material is being posted by some of the respondents against me and against this court and I cannot stay silent. I have decided to draw contempt proceedings against some of the respondents and some other contemnors," the judge said. The court was hearing CBI's petition challenging the trial court's order discharging former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the liquor policy case. The court had earlier decided to appoint senior lawyers as amici curiae to represent the unrepresented respondents, i..e AAP leaders Kejriwal
The brewing industry will invest around Rs 5,500 crore in Uttar Pradesh in the next three years on setting up of greenfield units and its ancilleries, industry body BAI said. The beer industry is "betting big" on Uttar Pradesh, said the Brewers' Association of India (BAI), while welcoming the new excise policy announced by the state government, termed it "progressive" and has a "well-balanced approach" for the growth of the industry. "The beer industry and its ancillary industries will be investing Rs 5,500 crore in the next three years," said BAI Director General Vinod Giri. Elaborating the projects, he said work on two greenfield breweries costing around Rs 1500 crore is already underway. "Similarly, two major aluminium can production plants, which entail investment of Rs 2,000 crore, are also in the pipeline, while a few glass production units worth Rs 2,000 crore will also come up soon," Giri told PTI. In addition, plans are underway for the malting unit and paper box makers,
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a final prosecution complaint in the alleged liquor scam case in Chhattisgarh, naming 59 people, taking the total number of accused in the money laundering case to 81. The final prosecution complaint was filed before the PMLA court here, complying with the Supreme Court's directions, the ED's counsel, Saurabh Kumar Pande, told PTI. Earlier, 22 persons were named as accused in the case, and several of them were arrested. After completing the investigation related to those accused, prosecution complaints were filed against them in the past, he said. The final prosecution complaint has now been filed against 59 more persons against whom investigation has been completed, Pande said. The 59 include Soumya Chaurasia, the then deputy secretary at the Chief Minister's office, former IAS officer Niranjan Das, liquor licence holders, distributors and excise department officials, he said. The prosecution's complaint summary runs into 315 pages
The Delhi government mopped up about Rs 600 crore in excise revenue from the sale of liquor from retail stores run by its corporations during Diwali, officials said on Thursday. The excise department has recorded sale of Rs 594 crore of liquor from the retail vends during 15 days preceding Diwali, a senior Delhi government officer said. The revenue from liquor sale this year was 15 per cent higher than the sale during the same period last year, he said. "The sale was Rs 516 crore during the fortnight before Diwali in 2024. "This year's sale of Rs 594 crore during the same period shows that there is 15 per cent increase in the total quantum of sale amount of liquor," he said. The Delhi government registered over 12 per cent growth in excise revenue collection in the first half of the current financial year as compared to the same period last year, officials said. As per official figures, the excise revenue, including value added tax (VAT) was Rs 3,731.79 crore during April-Septemb
A chargesheet filed by the Andhra Pradesh police in connection with the alleged Rs 3,500-crore liquor scam in a local court alleges that the kickbacks were systematically laundered through low-profile individuals, such as office boys or employees. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged liquor scam filed a supplementary chargesheet on Monday. "During the course of investigation, it was revealed that the accused have systematically laundered the kickback amount with the help of low-profile individuals who were working as office boys or employees in the companies owned by the accused," officials said quoting the chargesheet. "Such employees and individuals acted as couriers and mules for depositing illicit cash into a network of bank accounts linked to the syndicate," they added. This pattern of cash layering and circulation demonstrates a deliberate attempt to conceal the origin of crime proceeds, constituting a classic case of structured money laundering and ...