Police in Beed, Maharashtra, arrested a 48-year-old bootlegger and seized illicit Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and a motorcycle worth Rs 1.11 lakh. The accused was intercepted on Friday night following a tip-off.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Thiruvananthapuram Division has seized 943 kg of narcotic substances valued at Rs 54.98 crore in 108 cases between January and September this year. These efforts are part of Operation NARCOS, a nationwide initiative to prevent the railway network from being used for drug trafficking. The RPF also detected cases involving banned tobacco products and IMFL during the same period.
A train attendant was arrested at Thane railway station for allegedly possessing 61 bottles of Goa-manufactured Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 71,560. The seizure was made by the state excise department based on a tip-off, and the attendant has been charged under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.
Two individuals have died and 19 others have been hospitalised in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district after consuming spurious liquor. Authorities have detained four bootleggers and are investigating the source of the duplicate Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bottles, which are believed to have originated from Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat is a dry state where alcohol is banned.
Gujarat Police have arrested 13 additional individuals, including a man from Madhya Pradesh identified as Anand Chhandi, for their involvement in the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy that claimed 13 lives. Chhandi is accused of playing a significant role in manufacturing the methanol-laced spurious liquor and procuring chemicals, bringing the total arrests to 27.
Seven people have died and 30 others are hospitalised in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district after consuming spurious liquor. Police have detained 12 bootleggers and registered an FIR against 21 individuals. The victims reportedly consumed illicit liquor from duplicate bottles of an IMFL brand, with preliminary investigations suggesting the supply originated from Madhya Pradesh.
The death toll due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district went up to 13 on Sunday after two more victims succumbed during treatment, officials said.
Kerala's state-run Bevco has reported record liquor sales during the first eight days of the Onam festive season, reaching Rs 771.29 crore, surpassing last year's figures. Officials anticipate this year's total sales will exceed the Rs 826.38 crore recorded in 2025, despite a slight dip in Uthradam day sales compared to the previous year.
A police constable has been arrested in connection with the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy, which has claimed 13 lives in Gujarat. This brings the total number of arrests to 39, as investigations reveal the constable's links to the prime accused and his involvement in the offence.
The Meghalaya High Court has ruled that moral objections from church elders and locals cannot be a valid ground to deny the operation of a legally licensed liquor outlet. The court directed authorities to permit a shop owner to operate her IMFL retail outlet, noting she fulfilled all statutory requirements and that the objections were based on moral rather than legal grounds. The ruling also highlighted that a legal outlet could help curb illegal liquor sales.
The Excise department in Thane seized 73,440 bottles of Goa-made Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 1.89 crore from a truck on the Panvel-Mumbra highway. The liquor, lacking batch numbers and MRP, is banned for sale in Maharashtra, leading to the driver's arrest under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
India is poised to become the largest global scotch whisky market in value and volume terms over the next few years, fuelled by competitive intensity, premiumisation and economic growth, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Mark Kent CMG has said.
A CAG report has found that the 2021-22 Delhi excise policy created risks of monopolies and brand pushing by an "exclusive arrangement" between a few wholesalers and manufacturers. The report highlights that three wholesalers controlled over 71% of the total liquor supply chain in the city, with just 25 brands accounting for nearly 70% of total liquor sales. The report also criticized the formation of retail zones with a minimum of 27 wards in each zone, which limited the number of total licensees and increased the risk of monopolization and cartel formation.
Radico Khaitan is the maker of award-winning single malt 'Rampur' and Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin. Besides, it owns IMFL brands as 8 PM Whisky and Magic Moments Vodka.
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.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the state governments had the power to impose import levy on Indian made foreign liquor imported into the state by licensee over and above the excise and countervailing duty.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights with the Association of Voluntary Action, also known as Bachpan Bachao Andolan, led the crackdown at Som Distillery on Saturday, a release stated.
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.
Stocks of alcoholic beverage makers have corrected over the last few trading sessions on worries that taxes, competition and costs will hurt sales and profitability. The recent trigger for the decline is Karnataka, which accounts for 15 per cent of overall liquor consumption, increasing duties. The state increased by 20 per cent the additional excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) on all slabs.
Beer to be allowed in certain offices in Haryana; other states allow its sale in stores and malls.
"The investigation has revealed that Singh had assured to get changes through Manish Sisodia in the then proposed Excise Policy of 2020-21 to increase the brand registration criterion for IMFL brands at the behest of Amit Arora and Dinesh Arora.
Five years after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed total prohibition in Bihar, the liquor mafia continues to thrive, reports MI Khan.
Almost 70 per cent of alcohol distribution in India happens through liquor vends or shops, while 30 per cent happens on-premise, that is, in bars, pubs, and hotels.
The Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement had met both Chief Minister Palaniswami and Stalin to seek their intervention in lifting the ban on toddy-tapping and had submitted petitions, but there it remained. So the matter is being taken to the people's court.
In a statement, the lawyer of Irani's daughter, said his client is neither an owner nor operating the restaurant called Silly Souls Goa.
A phased roll-out of prohibition will hit revenues of companies, which get 5% of their volume sales from the state
The order, issued by the Home Department, will come into effect only after guidelines are finalised, said a senior official.
Despite the recent hooch tragedy that claimed 26 lives in the Mulappuram district this month, the liquor consumption in Kerala continues to be on a rise.
'As we grew up in service and became seniors ourselves, our commanders advised us to graduate to whiskey since rum did not suit the stature and 'shaan' of a senior officer.' Nitin Sathe recalls his encounters with whiskey on World Whiskey Day.
