Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: Tensions flared between Goa’s liquor trade community and Gujarat law enforcement after a Gujarat Police team arrested Saiesh Sawant, a liquor shop owner from Mapusa, late Wednesday in connection with an alleged bootlegging case. The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from the Goa Liquor Traders Association, which has denounced the move as an overreach and demanded state intervention.
According to Gujarat authorities, Sawant is accused of supplying alcohol to an individual who was later caught illegally transporting it into Gujarat, where alcohol is banned under strict prohibition laws.
However, Goa Liquor Traders Association President Dattaprasad Naik insisted that Sawant merely sold liquor legally at his store, Ramesh Wines, and had no role in its transportation. “We are not responsible for where a customer takes legally purchased liquor. Our business operates strictly under the Goa Excise Act,” Naik stated.
The association further alleged that Gujarat Police conducted the arrest without a transit warrant or coordination with Goa authorities. “Excise rules are clear—officials from another state cannot enter licensed premises in Goa without being accompanied by local excise officers. This was a clear violation of protocol,” Naik said.
Naik warned that this was not an isolated incident, citing a similar case last November when Maharashtra Police attempted to detain another Mapusa-based trader without proper procedure.
In response to the latest arrest, a delegation from the traders’ body met with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, prompting North Goa Superintendent of Police Akshat Kaushal (IPS) to contact his Gujarat counterpart. Kaushal reportedly assured the delegation that a circular will be issued requiring all out-of-state enforcement agencies to notify Goa excise and police authorities before taking action in the state.
Meanwhile, a team from the association has travelled to Gujarat to provide legal assistance to Sawant, who remains in custody.
