Excise department and police seized 292 bottles of foreign liquor from a flat in Gurugram and booked a liquor trader for illegal storage and suspected illegal sale.
Jharkhand Police seized narcotics and illicit foreign liquor worth over Rs 8.85 lakh and arrested 12 people across four districts in separate operations.
Two individuals have been arrested in Navi Mumbai for allegedly smuggling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 1.25 crore in a truck. The liquor was concealed under cement bags in a specially fabricated compartment.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday approved a new Excise Policy, permitting the sale of hard liquor through retail vends, reducing documents to obtain a licence from 16 to six and extending the liquor availability to four more districts.
Police in Chhattisgarh's Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district seized 800 boxes of illicit liquor worth Rs 50.28 lakh from a truck attempting to smuggle the consignment into Maharashtra. The driver was arrested, and an investigation is underway to uncover the full smuggling network.
Two police constables were arrested in Gopalganj, Bihar, for allegedly selling liquor. The constables, along with a private individual, were found in possession of 333 litres of IMFL. Both constables have been suspended, and departmental action has been initiated.
Jharkhand Police seized narcotics and illicit liquor worth over Rs 2.54 crore and arrested seven persons in separate operations across five districts.
Police in Kaij, Maharashtra, seized illegal liquor worth over 1.5 lakh from a vehicle transporting it without a valid permit.
Maharashtra excise department seized Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) manufactured in Goa, valued at Rs 1.43 crore, in Thane city and arrested two persons.
Latur police conducted a 21-hour operation targeting illegal liquor operations, resulting in 74 cases and the seizure of illicit liquor worth Rs 4.19 lakh. The drive also led to arrests under the Arms Act and for drunk driving.
Indian liquor brands are increasingly focusing on Hindi heartland states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana as the next major growth engine for premiumisation, driven by expanding luxury portfolios, craft spirit launches, and upgraded retail experiences, as state governments embrace reforms.
Since Bihar implemented its liquor prohibition law in April 2016, over 1.7 million people have been arrested for offences related to alcohol consumption and sale. The state's Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department reports high conviction rates and significant revenue collection despite the ban.
The Excise and Taxation Department, with the assistance of local police, dismantled an illegal liquor racket operating in the Pratapnagar area, recovering 170 boxes of alcohol.
Uttar Pradesh police seized over 710 cartons of Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth approximately 1.20 crore in Chandauli, arresting two smugglers attempting to transport the contraband to Bihar, where alcohol is banned.
Assam Police arrested three individuals in two separate operations for allegedly smuggling banned Yaba tablets and illegal liquor, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praising the successful busts.
A police team in Indore was attacked with stones while confiscating illegal liquor, resulting in injuries to two officers. Authorities have seized a large quantity of liquor and are searching for the attackers.
Mizoram has long maintained one of the country's strictest prohibition regimes.
The Maharashtra excise department seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 11.39 lakh in Palghar district, leading to the arrest of three persons. Three vehicles worth Rs 21 lakh were also seized in the operations.
Industry bodies representing alcoholic beverage manufacturers have welcomed the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which will see tariffs on UK whisky and gin reduced, boosting bilateral trade and supporting premiumisation. However, domestic manufacturers are calling for state governments to withdraw concessions currently enjoyed by imported liquor brands.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 retail liquor outlets across the state, responding to public demand, particularly from women and political parties.
A man from Assam has been arrested with over 620 gm of heroin in Mizoram's Champhai district. The heroin was allegedly smuggled from Myanmar and was being transported to Assam.
The Election Commission has deployed 432 counting observers across all 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal to ensure transparent and smooth counting of votes. Several districts have been assigned additional observers in view of their sensitivity and electoral significance. Enforcement agencies have carried out extensive seizure drives during the election period to curb illegal inducements, with total seizures valued at approximately Rs 561 crore.
Delhi prisons are severely overcrowded, housing nearly double their authorised capacity, with undertrials making up the vast majority of the inmate population, according to the latest NCRB data.
'Unfortunately, today most ministers are busy with either election duty or praising duty. They are not interested in serving duty.' 'Ministers have become relaxed like retired people still holding onto jobs.' 'Look at how the NEET paper leaked. But there is no accountability.' 'After 12 years, they have become saturated. They are short of ideas.'
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
The Uttar Pradesh excise department arrested climate activist Harjeet Singh for allegedly possessing excess liquor after the ED searched his premises in connection with a foreign exchange violation case. The ED is investigating the misuse of funds received from abroad and Singh's visits to Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Delhi Police arrested 267 narco-offenders and seized significant quantities of contraband during a 48-hour crackdown called "Operation Kavach 13.0." The operation involved raids across the city and targeted drug traffickers, suppliers, and organised criminal networks.
The latest move removes one of the key friction points for visitors, temporary liquor permits, while allowing licensed hotels and restaurants operational flexibility.
By 10 am, Rakshit N Jagdale is already deep into the rhythm of the day, which promises to be a carousel of meetings, calls, and strategic decisions. As managing director of Amrut Distilleries, he balances ritual and ambition, tradition and transformation, like many other legacy players in India's alcoholic beverages sector who are staring at a rosy future.
Makers of spirits, beer, and wine are working to identify new markets of growth as two of the industry's biggest liquor markets, Maharashtra and Telangana, remain embroiled in taxation and payment issues.
Satat Sampada, the organisation of climate activist Harjeet Singh and his wife, said the allegations made by the Enforcement Directorate against the firm and its founder were baseless, biased and misleading.
'If you want to force the press into blacking out the Opposition's views or colour the news to your own liking, we will not do so.' 'We stand by freedom of expression. It is our Constitutional right. We stand by our Constitutional right.'
The report on the alleged liquor scam, a hot button issue in the run-up to the elections, claimed a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 941.53 crore, saying timely permissions were not taken for opening the liquor vends in non-conforming municipal wards.
Budget 2026 sticks to fiscal discipline, shuns populist measures despite five key state elections coming up, but ends up rattling stock markets with a higher transaction tax on derivatives trading.
'This Budget has a one-year agenda, which you can call the sprint, and the marathon is towards Viksit Bharat.'
"Let's work it out. There has to be some parity," the high court said.
The new excise policy, introduced in Delhi in November 2021, made sweeping changes to the city's liquor trade.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has criticized the Maharashtra state excise department for operational lapses that led to a significant revenue shortfall. The report cites incorrect fee assessments, failure to implement revised rates, and other irregularities.
According to the official, 8,67,282 litres of all types of alcohol, including country-made and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), was sold on November 13. The figures for the next two days stood at 9,17,823 and 8,81,550 litres, he said.
