The most terrifying face of Gujarat’s on-paper liquor ban and the corrupt police administration has come to light in the Tapi-Vyara district. According to a ground report by ‘Mahanagar Metro News’, the entire Tapi district has been turned into a den of revelry by liquor smugglers and corrupt police officers. Law and order in the district has completely collapsed. Under the patronage of the police, an unhindered network of foreign liquor, illegal gambling clubs, and poisonous chemical-laced country liquor furnaces is flourishing in every village today.
Tapi district is no longer just a consumption center; it has become the main ‘supply hub’ for distributing liquor to Surat city and its surrounding areas. This entire illicit trade operates via shipping containers. The responsibility of safely transporting these liquor consignments from Tapi to Surat lies in the hands of the district’s notorious liquor smugglers—Sanju Dadhi, Hemant Battery, Vijay Sayan, Nitin, and Rustam Songadh. This syndicate has become so fearless that there are serious allegations that when liquor-laden containers travel on the roads, police patrolling teams themselves provide them with a security escort.
The mastermind and administrative head of this entire corrupt nexus has been exposed as none other than LCB ASI Bipin Chaudhari. According to sources, crores of rupees are extorted every month from every illegal business operating in the Tapi district. An installment of ₹60 to ₹70 lakh is collected monthly from each liquor smuggler. Because of this illicit extortion, an ordinary ASI-level employee has become a multi-crorepati today.
The illegal chemical-laced country liquor furnaces operating in the district could invite a major tragedy at any moment. The administration has learned no lessons from past incidents where innocent lives were lost. If anyone loses their life or innocent families are ruined by consuming chemical-laced liquor in Tapi district, who will be directly held accountable? Will the SP or these officers take responsibility for the victims’ families? The most shocking fact is that Bipin Chaudhari has remained entrenched in the same district and on the same front for the last 10 years. Why have the government rules regarding periodic transfers been waived for this officer? Considered a close confidant and favorite of Tapi District Police Chief Jashu Desai, this officer fears neither the Range IG nor the State Monitoring Cell (SMC).
According to shocking information that recently surfaced, ASI Bipin Chaudhari has returned from a lavish 10-day trip to Dubai and Bangkok! In today’s times, amidst such high inflation, how can an ordinary ASI-level employee afford a foreign trip worth lakhs of rupees? According to sources, the expenses for this expensive international trip were borne by the liquor smugglers of Tapi! What this officer actually brought back from this foreign trip has also become a topic of discussion. The question arises: on whose orders was a government employee granted permission to go abroad for 10 days? Is this officer openly challenging the ‘zero tolerance’ (strictness against corruption) claims of the State Chief Minister and Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi?
When ‘Mahanagar Metro’ contacted Tapi District Police Chief Jashu Desai and asked questions about this entire matter, he defended himself by saying, “I do not know anything, I will get it investigated.” After this, he even stopped answering calls. The LCB PI is also sitting silently on this entire issue, which clearly shows that this corrupt syndicate is operating unhindered from top to bottom.
‘Mahanagar Metro’ raises its voice against this massive scam and places strict demands before the State Government, the Home Department, and top police officials:
- Strict Investigation by ACB: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should conduct a thorough investigation into all movable and immovable properties, bank accounts, and benami properties of ASI Bipin Chaudhari over the last 10 years.
- Inquiry into Dubai and Bangkok Trips: There should be a fair and impartial investigation into who granted permission for the 10-day foreign trip and what the source of the expenses worth lakhs of rupees was.
- Probe into the Roles of SP and LCB: An inquiry committee at the Range IG level should be appointed regarding the inaction and attempts to suppress the matter by District Police Chief Jashu Desai and the LCB PI.
- Action Against Liquor Smugglers: Under the ‘Action Against Liquor Network’, immediate and strict action should be taken against liquor smugglers like Sanju Dadhi, Hemant Battery, Vijay Sayan, Nitin, and Rustam Songadh.
