Team Goemkarponn
SHIMOGA: In a shocking incident, Goan excise inspector who is tasked with monitoring alcohol smuggling and bootlegging was reportedly caught red-handed in Karnataka while attempting to smuggle spirits made in Goa. Following his arrest by the Karnataka Excise Department for allegedly trafficking spirits made in Goa in his vehicle in Kagodu, close to Sagar city, Shivamogga, Excise Inspector Pramod Vishwanath Juvekar was suspended on Monday. After the Karnataka Excise Department notified its Goa counterparts of Juvekar’s arrest on Monday, Commissioner of Excise Sarpreet Singh Gill issued the suspension order.
Juvekar, a Betul native, was taken into custody on Thursday in Kagodu, Shivamogga, Karnataka, on suspicion of carrying alcohol in a car registered in Goa. The spirits shipment was also confiscated by the Karnataka Excise department. The Sub-Divisional excise officials carried out a raid after receiving a tip. Juvekar was apprehended while waiting to deliver the shipment to a potential buyer in a field next to a cremation at Kagodu in his car, GA-08-F-3312. 138.06 litres of spirits produced in Goa were found in Juvekar’s car during the search by excise officers. The alcohol that was seized is worth Rs 68,000. The car used in the crime has also been confiscated by excise inspectors.
Sections 8, 11, and 15 of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, as well as Sections 32(A), 38(A), and 43(A) of the same Act, have been used to register a case against Juvekar. After appearing before the court, the accused was placed under judicial detention on remand. Juvekar was assigned to one of the Canacona taluka’s spirits manufacturers. According to sources, on Holi eve, he bought the whisky and sneaked it into Karnataka because it usually sells for twice as much there and is even more expensive on festive occasions in the adjoining state. Sheela Darjkar, the Karnataka Deputy Superintendent of Excise, Inspector Bhagyalakshmi, and excise workers Sandeep L C, Gurumurthy, Deepak, Mallikarjun, and Sachin headed the excise operation.
