Surat Exclusive: Strong Bootlegger-Police Nexus in Olpad Taluka Exposed

Surat: A shocking revelation has brought to light the deep-rooted nexus between bootleggers and police officers in Olpad taluka of Surat district. Despite numerous pleas from local villages and Darshan Naik, the general secretary of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee for the last several months, the country liquor breweries continue to thrive, with the open sale of country liquor and IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) rampant throughout Olpad taluka.

In a letter addressed to Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Darshan Naik has demanded the formation of a special investigation team to probe the matter. Naik alleges that the police administrators, known as “Vahivatdars,” possess a significant amount of benami properties, including farmhouses, luxury cars, vehicles, and lands worth crores of rupees under the names of their friends and relatives. These officers are alleged to receive substantial kickbacks from the bootleggers operating in Olpad taluka in exchange for facilitating their illegal businesses without any hindrance.

Moreover, these administrators are accused of misusing government vehicles and financial resources in collaboration with bootleggers and criminals. Such actions tarnish the reputation of the Home Department and Police Department, implicating them in the performance of these corrupt police officers.

According to Naik, a comprehensive investigation of the entire department would reveal the open operation of liquor businesses worth crores of rupees by bootleggers. Despite the proliferation of country liquor breweries, the silence of the police department raises suspicions. Rumors circulate that when individuals approach the police station with complaints, the Vahivatdars summon them and settle the issues by intimidating the petitioners.

The collusion between bootleggers and criminals in Olpad taluka has resulted in the accumulation of significant profits, leaving them emboldened and ruthless. Concerns about the enforcement of prohibition laws in Olpad taluka were raised by citizens during the “Jan Manch” program organized by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, led by Congress Party leader Amit Chavda. Despite representations made to the Gujarat police, no action has been taken to address the issue.

Naik expressed his disappointment, stating, “In Mahatma Gandhi’s Gujarat, his principles are not being followed. The Gujarat police show a lack of interest in curbing the menace of liquor in Surat. When the police and bootleggers join hands for illegal activities, it becomes a daunting task for the Home Department to completely eradicate this menace.”

The allegations made by Darshan Naik and the revelations of a strong nexus between bootleggers and police officers have raised serious concerns about law enforcement and corruption in Olpad taluka.