The Tamil Nadu police achieved 95% conviction rate in prohibition cases in the northern districts in the year since July 2024.
After hooch tragedies claimed over 90 lives in Kallakurichi, Villuppuram, and Chengalpet districts, special teams were formed to expedite the trial in pending cases as part of a multi-pronged strategy to curb the brewing, transport, and sale of spurious liquor in 10 northern districts. The accused persons in many of these cases — mostly belonging to Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, and Villuppuram districts — were found guilty and punished.
In the last one year, 14,900 cases were registered against hundreds of suspects in these districts, especially in the Kalvarayan and Javvadhu Hills. About 1 lakh kg of jaggery, 20,011 litres of illicit arrack, and raw materials were seized during the combing operations, according to a press release.
Besides sending the suspects to jail, the police continued the investigation into their sources of raw materials and transport network, says Inspector-General of Police, North Zone, Asra Garg. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“We have taken steps to detain 123 habitual offenders under the Bootleggers Act. Manufacture and sale of spurious liquor has almost been eradicated in the zone, thanks to the untiring efforts of the police who gathered actionable intelligence and acted on it swiftly,” said Inspector-General of Police, North Zone, Asra Garg.
