'Do Not Dig Well When House on Fire': Supreme Court Cautions Punjab Govt, Cites Bihar Hooch Tragedy
"Do not dig the well when the house catches fire," the Supreme Court on Thursday warned the government of Punjab to immediately adopt strict measures to address the large-scale manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in the state. The state government told the bench, comprising Justices M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, that they had already taken steps in the right direction "because of this...
"Do not dig the well when the house catches fire," the Supreme Court on Thursday warned the government of Punjab to immediately adopt strict measures to address the large-scale manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in the state. The state government told the bench, comprising Justices M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, that they had already taken steps in the right direction "because of this court's indulgence". "We have implemented all the directions issued by this court, including issuing a circular holding local police accountable if illegal bhatthis are found. We have conducted awareness campaigns, appointed informers who will be rewarded,' the bench was informed. "Have you seen Bihar today?" Justice Shah asked, referring to the Bihar hooch tragedy in Saran district that has claimed the lives of at 39 people, with the death toll still rising. "This is exactly what we want to avoid!" the judge exclaimed.
On behalf of the petitioner, it was submitted, "The primary concern is that only low-level persons are being arrested." The people actually manufacturing and supplying the liquor are escaping the police scanner, the counsel explained. "The state government has been given multiple opportunities to show that the real culprits have been arrested. In their counter-affidavit, for instance, the state government has admitted to arresting a person acquiring 600 litres of liquor. There is no effort to find out where was this liquor procured from, or where it was manufactured." He further asked, "Who paid for the plants where this illegal liquor was manufactured? Illegal distilleries require huge capital investments. There is complete silence." Justice Shah promised, "Let us see how the situation progresses. We will monitor it."
Earlier this month, the bench led by Justice Shah had slammed the Punjab government over its inaction with respect to the large-scale manufacture and sale of illicit liquor and sought a detailed counter-affidavit outlining concrete steps that can be taken to tackle the problem head-on, such as awareness campaigns or deploying more personnel to the borders of the state. The bench had also recommended issuing a circular stating that the local police would be held responsible if illegal bhatthis were found. Last month as well, the state government was pulled up by the top court, which had remarked that cancelling of licenses and recovery of penalties or dues from employees of factories would not be sufficient. The bench was told by Advocate Prashant Bhushan that concerted efforts had to be made to apprehend the real kingpins of the illicit liquor industry.
Case Title
Tarsem Jodhan & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. [SLP (C) No. 3764/2021]