UP: 16 arrested for running illegal liquor brewery, attacking police

A joint team of state police and the Excise Department has arrested 16 people for allegedly running an illegal liquor brewery at Balai village in the district.

"We had received information that locals of Balai village were running an illegal liquor brewery in the area. We conducted raids and confiscated 150 litres of illegal liquor, thousands of litres of raw material used for liquor and 510 empty bottles," said Additional Superintendent of Police Ravindra Kumar Singh on Sunday.

When the officers were returning after the raids on Saturday, locals even attacked the police and damaged their vehicles. One police personnel was also injured in the incident.

"We returned with more police force and made some arrests," Singh said.

A case has been registered against seven arrested persons under Section 60 and 63 of the Excise Act and Section 272 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for running the brewery.

Another case has been registered against nine others for attacking the police under the Sections of IPC - 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149 (every member part of unlawful assembly guilty of offense), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees).

( With inputs from ANI )