Punjab Police on Monday arrested 12 more persons, including two businessmen and they have also launched a manhunt for a Ludhiana-based paint business owner who had initially supplied the three drums of spurious liquor that had triggered the wave of deaths.
Chief Minister has directed the DGP Dinkar Gupta to put the full might of the police force in tracking and apprehending every single person involved in the case and move swiftly to ensure stringent action against each of them. Nobody should be spared, said Captain Amarinder, even as the Punjab Police launched a departmental inquiry against the 2 DSPs and four SHOs suspended for negligence.
The inquiry ordered by Chief Minister is also investigating the involvement of all suspects, as well as the 6 police and 7 Excise and Taxation Officers whose suspension was ordered by the Chief Minister on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the total number of arrests in the case has increased to 37, including 5 kingpins of the illicit liquor mafia that spanned several districts of the state. A manhunt has been launched for 8 more identified accused, including the Ludhiana-based paint shop owner, Rajesh Joshi, believed to be a key player in the mafia chain, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.
Investigations are also in progress to identify other links, he said. Adding, he said that efforts are also in progress to identify the various supply routes across districts since there were multiple buyers of the Ludhiana-based businessman, who was still absconding.
The DGP said raids were still continuing. The death toll in the case has meanwhile increased to 108, with 82 deaths in Tarn Taran and 13 each in Amritsar and Batala.
