THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has notified all officers of and above the rank of sub inspector of the Crime Branch as abkari officers. This will enable them exercise all powers and discharge all duties entrusted to abkari officers.
Till now, all police officers in the general executive wing of and above the rank of sub inspector had been notified as abkari officers, in exercise of powers conferred under section (4) of the Kerala Abkari Act.
Section (4) prohibits production, purchase, sale or disposal of any machinery or equipment for the purpose of counterfeiting liquor labels or security stickers. And sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 40, 41, 42,43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 59 arms police officers with certain powers of excise officers.
Section 31 of the Kerala Abkari Act empowers police officers to search houses without warrant, while section 32 empowers them to enter and inspect places of manufacture and sale. The other sections also authorise the entry by force in case of resistance, seizure of vehicles, and contraband, and the arrest persons who refuse to provide names or give false names, etc.
The new notification was issued in light of the investigations into the 2010 hooch tragedy in Malappuram, which claimed over 20 lives. Though local police had registered cases, the investigation was handed over to the CB due to the serious nature of the crimes.
The CB-CID filed closure reports in some cases, while investigations are still under way in others. Meanwhile, the state police chief through a letter requested the government to designate CB officers as abkari officers with retrospective effect and asked the latter to ratify the previous investigations conducted in abkari cases.
The government, after thorough consideration, came to the conclusion that “officers of the Crime Branch also come under the purview of the general executive branch of state police officers and by virtue of the notification they also come under the purview of abkari officers.” The home department, in its order issued on October 15, said, “Crime Branch officers can also investigate offences registered under sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38,40, 41, 42,43, 44, 45, 46, 47,48, 49,50, 51, 52, 53 and 59 of Abkari Act.”