CHANDIGARH: As the death toll in the Amritsar hooch tragedy rises to 27, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has demanded an inquiry by a sitting Punjab and Haryana High Court judge. He alleged a dangerous collusion between drug cartels, certain senior police officials, and Punjab government authorities.
Ruling Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Amritsar North and former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh also slammed his own government, alleging that those involved in the illicit liquor trade had become “a part of the regime and are running the show.”
Aujla stated that the Punjab government's ‘war on drugs’ has no connection with ground reality, arguing that if it did, such a tragedy wouldn't have occurred. He pointed out that in 2020, 120 deaths were reported due to spurious liquor in Amritsar, Batala, and Tarn Taran.
After that, in March 2024, 20 people died due to spurious liquor in Sangrur. "No one knows what was done to the culprits and that is why people have no fear of the law, now it has happened again in my constituency," he said.
He further said, "CM Mann should take full responsibility for the tragic deaths that have taken place in the Amritsar hooch tragedy, he should get resignations of all government functionaries who are at the helm and were responsible for this tragedy."
"I have been raising the alarm by writing to the DGP and government officials, highlighting the worsening drug crisis—particularly in Amritsar and the border areas. I have consistently exposed the deep-rooted drug nexus and repeatedly brought the issue to the attention of the government to the drugs and now, the spurious liquor issue but all my missives were ignored,” he explained.
"There is a dangerous collusion between drug cartels, certain senior police personnel, and officials of the Punjab government including those from the Excise Department. This nexus is destroying the future of Punjab,” added Aujla.
“In view of the above, I strongly urge the formation of a high-level committee under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge. This committee must investigate the number of drug- and liquor-related deaths over the years and dismantle this dangerous network,”he demanded.
Aujla added that the situation in Amritsar is very serious and urged the central government to send a high-level delegation, led by a Supreme Court judge, to investigate the manufacture and supply of drugs and spurious liquor in Amritsar and other parts of Punjab, and to identify those behind these nefarious activities.
According to Aujla, this becomes important as what is shocking is that the area where spurious liquor was sold and deaths took place was just 200 meters away from the police station. This points to a tacit support from the police for such illegal trade, this needs to be investigated.
“The high-level inquiry by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to investigate this tragedy should also fix responsibility for the deaths. The spurious liquor business has been ongoing for years, and it is surprising that police, STF, ATF, and other intelligence agencies, who monitor every bit of information, could not detect how such a large quantity of ethanol is entering Punjab and how it is being used. This, too, should also be investigated. The investigations should expose the actual ‘big fish’ behind the overpricing of liquor in Punjab,” Aujla said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (Amritsar North) MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh said, "The mafia-police nexus has a free run under this government. The liquor mafia have been made a part of the government and now running the show".
He said that when the 2020 hooch tragedy occurred during the Congress government, resulting in 135 deaths, Bhagwant Mann had demanded a murder case be registered against then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. "Live up to your own words now, as last year, 20 people died in Sangrur in a similar tragedy, which is Mann’s home district," he added.
Terming an eyewash as two police officials were suspended he sought action against DIG-level officers accusing them of “patronising” the criminals even during their tenures as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs).
"Be it illicit liquor or sand trade, criminals continue to prosper," he said and added that the issue required a serious discussion, for which he would urge the Punjab Speaker to hold a special session of the Assembly.