Bengaluru police arrested two people for selling liquor at high prices during the 21-day lockdown, where liquor sale has been banned.
Sandeep Patil, Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, stated that 100 bottles were seized from the two people who were arrested. "While there is complete lockdown and malls, pubs, wine shops are closed, some tried to illegally sell liquor at high prices," he said.
While there is complete lockdown & malls, pubs, wine shops r closed..some tried to illegally sell liquor & at v high prices..2 accused arrested..100 bottles seized.. pic.twitter.com/tLNC35U0eK
— Sandeep Patil IPS (@ips_patil) April 3, 2020
The arrested persons were identified as Dhananjay (29), a resident of Vijayanagar, and Sanjay (29), a resident of RT Nagar in the city. During a raid, alcohol worth Rs 1.25 lakh was recovered from them.
The duo was arrested after the police received a tip-off about their illegal operation. They were coordinating the sale of alcohol from inside an apartment in RT Nagar.
They had stored hundreds of liquor bottles in their flat and were selling them at Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per bottle, a price that is much higher than their retail prices.
Among the seized bottles were 26 bottles of William Lawson's blended whiskey 750 ml each, 23 bottles of Dewars White Label whiskey 750 ml each, 48 bottles of Kingfisher pint beer, and three bottles of vodka 750 ml each.
Liquor stores in the city have remained closed since March 22, the day of the Janata Curfew. A day later, an official order was issued by the Excise Department in the state to close all liquor stores till March 31. This was later extended to April 14.
The Excise Department had earlier exempted liquor stores with a CL-11 license and Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) stores from closing down during the lockdown period. But that decision was reversed on March 23.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has clarified that liquor stores in the city will remain closed till the lockdown is over. "There will be no liquor till April 14 at least," he said when reporters asked him when liquor stores will be open again.
There have been reports of thieves stealing liquor stores in Mangaluru and Gadag since the lockdown was enforced. In Mangaluru, liquor worth Rs 1 lakh was stolen from a MSIL shop managed by a man named Purushotam Pilar, at Kuthar Nithyanandanagara on the outskirts of the city.