Hanumangarh: A truck-trailer carrying Punjab-made English liquor from Ludhiana to Gujarat via Rajasthan, without any valid permit or licence, was seized near Dhirdesar village on the Bharatmala project route in Hanumangarh district.
The seizure has raised serious questions about lapses at the inter-state border. Notably, a joint check post of the transport department, police and excise department operates near Sangaria on the Punjab–Rajasthan border, around 225 km from Ludhiana. Despite this, the truck reportedly crossed the inter-state checkpoint without inspection and entered the Bharatmala project road. Officials said that had the vehicle been checked and its consignment documents verified at the border, the illegal liquor consignment could have been intercepted there itself, preventing a significant loss of excise duty to Punjab.
Confirming the seizure, Hanumangarh Superintendent of Police Hari Shankar said a joint team of Pallu police station and the district special team (DST) stopped the suspicious truck on the Bharatmala project road. During the search, police recovered 1,503 cartons of English liquor of brands including Royal Challenge, Royal Stag and All Seasons.
The truck driver, identified as Prakash Kumar Bishnoi (22), a resident of Wadaniya village in Jalore district, was arrested. A case has been registered against him under the Excise Act, and further investigation is underway to identify those involved in the illegal transportation network.
Police are also probing how the vehicle managed to cross the inter-state checkpoint without scrutiny and whether officials’ negligence played a role in the incident.
