One day, Haryana Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by a DSP level officer, to prove a driver’s claim that the alcohol contractors are operating a liquor business. several crores on his behalf in Panipat, an alcohol contractor, Narender Narwal, alleged that the so-called driver, Kulbir Malik, was trying to blackmail them to extort Rs 50 lakh from them.
“He was my PSO, not a driver. We partnered with Kulbir Malik because we have had an association with his family for three generations. Previously, they worked as farm labourers,” Narwal told The Indian Express. “Our company does not owe any money to the excise and tax department. Allegations of Kulbir Malik’s forged signature were proven false during an earlier investigation.
Malik, who is of Scheduled Caste, had alleged that the liquor company registered in his name had an unpaid amount of Rs 3.72 crore because “the liquor contractors failed to deposit the installments to the Department of excise and taxation”. “Officials ask me for this exceptional money because I have been appointed owner of the company. But I have nothing to give. I am a worker. I drive a vehicle from a blanket factory,” he had recently told the media Malik, a resident of Joshi village in Panipat district.
Panipat SP Shashank Kumar Sawan told the Indian Express on Tuesday that the driver’s claims will be verified. Another police officer said he would approach the excise and tax department to investigate the allegations.
Malik said he was previously a driver of the accused alcohol entrepreneur with a monthly salary of Rs 15,000, adding that the entrepreneur took alcohol sales of L-1, L-2 and L-13 on his behalf to run a Rs 110 crore business. . Malik appeared before Vij in Ambala on Saturday to file a formal complaint. The driver claimed that “he will face arrest if the contractor’s bogus alcohol is discovered by the police”. Vij ordered Panipat SP to file an FIR on his complaint and provide him with protection.
According to Malik, he has been a driver for the accused alcohol contractor since 2017. “The alcohol contractors registered a business in my name without informing me. Everything is in my name on the documents. Someone else used to sign on my behalf,” Malik said.
By 2020, 40 people had died and few others had fallen ill in Panipat and Sonipat after consuming adulterated alcohol. Most of these deaths initially described as “unusual” would later have been caused by the consumption of alcohol. Besides others, Malik was also arrested in connection with the alcohol-related deaths.
“When I was arrested by the police at my home and put behind bars in April 2021, I learned that the liquor business was in my name. The police showed me a partnership deed stating that I was a partner in the liquor company.When I got out of jail (June 2021) on bail I learned that they (the liquor contractors) had not filed fee installments with the service of excise on time and that Rs 3.72 crore was unpaid against the liquor company. Now the officials are asking me for that unpaid amount,” Malik said.
On the modus operandi of liquor contractors, Malik said, “Liquor businesses are formed on behalf of near and dear ones. They are assured that nothing will happen to them. Illegal work is done in their name, but later the poor have to face the consequences. »
Police have filed an FIR against the alcohol contractors – Narender Narwal, Anil Paruthi and his son Manu Paruthi.
Sources said these people had taken out a liquor sales contract for Rs 46 crore in Malik’s name under SC’s reserved category for nearly a dozen villages for the 2020-21 financial year. The five liquor vendors in the town of Panipat are included in this contract which continued until June this year. “According to the previous reservation policy, only people from the relevant castes were eligible to obtain the reserved liquor sales contract. That is why this contact was made on behalf of Kulbir Malik. In accordance with the policy, people from other castes were allowed to join him as partners. In this case, there were four to five partners. Initially, 20% of the total contract amount must be deposited with the authorities,” said an associate of the contractors.
Insisting that Malik’s claims must be verified, a senior police officer said: “Why did Kulbir Malik remain silent for over a year after his release from prison in June 2021? The police officer also alleged that the fake liquor in 2020 was sold from a liquor vendor by the name of Kulbir Malik.
According to the FIR, Malik worked for a company, Shiv Hari Associates, as a driver for alcohol contractor Narender Narwal. The alcohol entrepreneurs – Narwal, Anil Paruthi and his son Manu Paruthi – and Kulbir are from the same village (Joshi) in Panipat district. Malik alleged that they registered a bogus business in his name for the illegal sale of alcohol. The driver claimed that he received a threatening call in April this year and Narender Narwal did not help him file a complaint in the matter. After that, Malik left the job of driver.
