Pune bar case: 2 customs officials suspended; alcohol and other materials seized

Pune, Maharashtra Customs Department has suspended two of its inspector-rank officials for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with investigation into rule violations at a bar in Pune, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The official also said they had seized 241 liters of foreign alcohol and other materials worth ₹3 lakh from Liquid Leisure Lounge or L3, located on Fergusson College Road here, and cancelled its bar license.

Bars in the state’s second-largest city came under scrutiny after a video allegedly from L3 showed several teenagers with a drug-like substance on Sunday.

A police investigation into the viral video led to the arrest of eight people, including a promoter, and the suspension of four police officers after it was discovered that Bar L3 was open beyond its permitted operating hours.

In addition, the customs authorities arrested six waiters from L3 for allegedly violating regulations on the serving and storage of alcohol.

According to police, the bar was open until 5 am on Sunday and alcohol was sold beyond the permitted time. Bars and pubs in Pune are allowed to remain open until 1.30 am.

An official said on Tuesday that 14 regular task forces and three special task forces of the Customs authorities have been set up to check the illegal manufacture, transportation and sale of liquor in Pune district.

“The state customs officer has suspended an inspector and a sub-inspector of the department for dereliction of duty in the Liquid Leisure Lounge case,” Charansingh Rajput, customs officer of Pune division, told PTI.

The official said they seized 241 liters of foreign alcohol and other materials. ₹3 lakh and revoked his bar license for allegedly making internal changes in a licensing room of the establishment.

Citing the video that was circulated online, the public prosecutor’s office told a court in Pune on Monday that it had become known via social media that the accused had given narcotic-like substances to the guests of the bar. The case would now be investigated more closely.

At first glance, it is clear that the defendant used social media to invite guests to the bar to consume drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes, the public prosecutor’s office said, adding that the police wanted to investigate these customers more closely.

The police want to locate the teenager and a minor who can be seen in the viral video, the court said.

Samples were taken from the toilet of L3 and sent for testing for the presence of narcotics, police told the court on Monday, while demanding the detention of eight people, including bar owners and staff.

The police also announced that they would send blood samples from the arrested persons for testing to determine whether they had consumed drugs.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications.