Five arrested as excise officials bust liquor adulteration gang in Shamshabad

Five individuals were arrested by the Shamshabad District Task Force of the Telangana Excise and Prohibition department on Wednesday (January 7) for operating a racket that mixed cheaper liquor into premium brand bottles and sold them at inflated prices to bars and private events.

During the operation, excise officials seized 139 bottles of adulterated premium liquor, 136 empty premium liquor bottles and three scooters. Liquor and equipment worth an estimated ₹8 lakh were confiscated in the raids.

The arrests followed route surveillance conducted by DTF personnel at the Gachibowli flyover and Indira Nagar. During the checks, two men were intercepted while transporting 15 bottles of premium liquor on a scooter. On inspection, officials found that the bottles contained mixed liquor.

The two suspects, identified as Deshini Prakash Goud and Gadwal Bharat, were taken into custody and questioned. They disclosed that the liquor bottles had been sourced from the residence of Prakash Goud’s brother, Arvind, in the Kukatpally Housing Board (KPHB). Subsequent searches at Arvind’s house led to the seizure of 46 bottles of premium liquor.

Further interrogation revealed that the adulteration was being carried out at the residence of Buchidev Mahanti, a native of Odisha. Searches at Mahanti’s house resulted in the recovery of 54 liquor bottles, while an additional 24 bottles were seized during searches at the residence of another accused, Vikram.

Excise officials said the gang procured empty premium liquor bottles from bars and other sources, filled them with cheaper liquor, and sold the adulterated bottles at reduced rates. A bottle with a market price of around ₹20,000 was allegedly sold for ₹10,000, enabling the accused to make substantial profits. Investigators stated that the gang supplied such liquor to bars and various social functions.

The accused and the seized liquor bottles were handed over to the Serilingampally Excise Station for further investigation.

Shamshabad Excise Superintendent Krishna Priya cautioned the public against purchasing premium liquor offered at unusually low prices, warning that adulterated liquor poses serious health risks.