Country liquor breweries busted in Odisha’s Gajapati; huge cache of alcohol seized

In a major joint operation, police and excise officials on Monday launched a crackdown in Badapur village under Mohana police limits in Gajapati district.

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Acting on local complaints, the team raided multiple locations, demolished several illicit liquor distilleries, seized large quantities of country-made alcohol, and destroyed raw materials used for brewing.

According to official sources, illegal liquor brewing and sale had been going on in the village for years, causing significant unrest within families and the local community. Disturbed by the rise in alcohol-related issues, local women had lodged formal complaints with Mohana police, demanding stringent action against bootleggers and curb of the illegal trade.

Following these complaints, the joint team conducted surprise raids in nearby forests and behind several houses suspected to be involved in the illegal activity. Women in the village have now united to demand a complete and permanent ban on liquor in the locality.

Police administration has assured locals of continued action and regular surveillance to curb the liquor trade. Raids will be intensified in the days ahead, a senior cop informed.

“Male members of any household are often indulging in altercations after consuming liquor. They are frequently creating disturbances and beating other members of the family. They are even selling the household belongings to purchase liquor and nobody is listening to us,” a woman resident of Badapur village, Kuntala Pradhan, said to OTV when contacted.

“Several individuals from the village have died in the past days due to liquor consumption. When we had taken them to doctors, we came to know that most of them died not due to any disease but liquor consumption,” another woman resident, Hema Pradhan, stated.