Illicit liquor unit unearthed at Odisha school, 2 including school owner arrested

The excise department busted an illegal distillery running from the premises of a private school, seized a huge quantity of liquor and arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in the case at Phulajhar village under Nuagaon block in Sundargarh district. 

The arrested persons have been identified as Surendra Badaik, the school owner, and Pawan Kumar Mittal, a liquor trader. 

Though the incident occurred on Sunday, it has now been the talk of the town for the fact that the country liquor manufacturing unit was operating from a school premises and police and excise department could not get any hint about it. 

As per the report, acting on a tip off about huge amount of liquor bottles kept at a class room of the school, a special team of the excise department conducted raids on the school on Sunday morning. During raids, besides raw materials, empty bottles and packed bottles worth Rs 6 lakh, they also seized a car used in the crime. Preliminary investigation reveals liquor from this unit was being supplied to nearby dhabas and hotels. The arrested persons were produced before the court on the same day. 

The excise department has launched an investigation to find out how the unit had been running for such a long period from school premises.

“We were on our usual patrolling duty when we were tipped off that a liquor unit was operating from a class room of the school. Acting on the direction of Excise Commissioner Ashish Kumar Singh, we conducted a raid at the school,” said Snehalata Nayak, Excise Inspector, Rourkela.