Rajkot: The Bhavnagar Local Crime Branch (LCB) arrested three people, including a railway employee, for allegedly manufacturing and storing counterfeit Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) at a railway colony quarter.The accused were identified as Akshayrajsinh Gohil (32), a railway employee; Vijay alias Mayank Makwana (33); and Jitendra Khavadiya (40). Police seized 17 bottles of suspected counterfeit liquor, equipment used for manufacturing and other goods valued at more than Rs 1 lakh.Acting on a tip-off, the LCB raided quarter no. 70 in Bhavnagar railway colony on Sep 12. According to police, the accused allegedly brought liquor parcels from outside, stored them in the quarter and used chemicals to prepare counterfeit liquor. Fake labels of liquor manufacturers were then affixed to the bottles, which were sealed and made to resemble branded IMFL.LCB in charge police inspector P C Singarkhiya told TOI that the raid was conducted after the agency received information that Gohil, Makwana and others were allegedly manufacturing fake liquor in the quarter.During the raid, officers also recovered sealed bottles bearing the marking “For Sale in Punjab” and equipment allegedly used to prepare and bottle the counterfeit liquor.Police said the three accused had allegedly conspired with several others. The names of Ramdevsinh Zala of Morbi, Arjunsinh Sodha of Bhavnagar, Suryapratapsingh Rathod and Ajitsingh alias Bana Rathod of Rajasthan, Shaktisinh Rayjada, Bhavesh Solanki and Sharad Chavda surfaced during preliminary investigation, they added.A case was registered at Bor Talav police station in Bhavnagar district under sections of Gujarat Prohibition Act.The investigation was under way to identify other people linked to the alleged operation in Rajasthan, Morbi and other places.
