Vadodara: A stock of over 8,700 liquor bottles worth more than Rs 15 lakh, seized by police in prohibition cases, was allegedly stolen from a police station in Panchmahal district over the past two years.The accused include three home guards and a Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD) jawan posted in and around the police station, along with a bootlegger who allegedly purchased the stolen liquor.Kankanpur police have registered an FIR against five persons and arrested them.The theft came to light during an annual inspection of seized property at Kankanpur police station in April this year. Senior officers directed local police to conduct a detailed audit of the stock and submit a report.“During the inquiry, it emerged that a substantial quantity of liquor seized in various cases over the last two years and stored at the police station was missing,” said M K Gurjar, police inspector.Police subsequently examined CCTV footage from the station and found multiple clips showing one of the accused, home guard Narendra Baria, entering the room where the liquor stock was stored.“Baria, who was posted at Kankanpur police station, used to enter the room through a window during the night,” Gurjar said.The footage also showed bootlegger Praveen Pagi arriving near the police station in a car on several occasions and taking away liquor bottles. Further investigation revealed the involvement of two other home guards, Viral Gohil and Govind Parmar, and GRD jawan Kishan Parmar.According to the FIR registered on June 5, Baria stole 8,710 liquor bottles valued at more than Rs 15.20 lakh and sold them to Pagi. The remaining accused are alleged to have assisted him in carrying out the thefts.Police said the group initially began stealing small quantities of liquor for personal consumption.“The accused started by taking a few bottles for themselves. When they realised the thefts were going unnoticed, they gradually increased the quantity and began selling the liquor,” Gurjar said.Investigators believe the stolen liquor has already been sold. Police are now examining the bank accounts and financial transactions of the accused to trace the proceeds generated from the sale of the contraband.
