In Faridkot and Ferozepur: I-T teams raid liquor baron Deep Malhotra’s premises

Faridkot

The income-tax (I-T) department on Thursday carried out raids on the premises of liquor baron and former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Deep Malhotra. Searches were also conducted at his companies and associates in Faridkot and Ferozepur districts.

I-T dept teams from Jalandhar raided six locations linked to Malhotra in Faridkot and Ferozepur districts at around 7am, said officials privy to the development.

In Faridkot, I-T officials searched Malhotra’s residence at Adarsh Nagar, his company’s office in Khokhran Wala Mohala and residences of his two associates, who run liquor operations for him, in Faridkot, said officials.

Officials also carried out searches at Malbros International Private Limited, an alcohol-making unit at Mansurwal village in Ferozepur’s Zira and residence of liquor factory’s chief administrative officer Pawan Bansal in Ferozepur city. The private distillery is owned by Malhotra’s company.

Though I-T officials did not reveal the reason behind the raids, officials privy to the matter said I-T officials collected some documents from the Zira liquor factory.

The I-T department’s action comes amid ongoing probe of the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi Excise Policy case. In October 2022, the ED had carried out searches at Malhotra’s locations, including the Faridkot premises, and in February, the agency arrested Malhotra’s son Gautam Malhotra in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

In January, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the government would close Zira liquor factory as residents under the banner of Zira Sanjha Morcha are holding a protest alleging that the alcohol making unit was polluting groundwater in several villages and also causing air pollution. Since the government issued no formal notification in this regard, locals continued their protest in front of the liquor factory, Malbros International Private Limited. The factory recently filed a fresh petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging the closure order.

(Inputs by Gaurav Sagar Bhaskar)