Wholesale liquor licence of Daman & Diu BJP chief, 11 others suspended

Other wholesalers are Kanu Patel (Shital Wines), Jayeshree Patel (Paramount Traders), Natu Patel (Krishna Wines), Dhanuben Arjunbhai (A-1 Wines), Ashok Patel (Jagruti Wines), Manu Patel (Nayan Wines), Ganpat Patel (Ghansi Wines), Daxesh Kokla (Bhavya Wines), Mukesh Tandel (Sheetal Traders), Sanjay Patel (Sapna Wines) and Shanta Patel (Stone Wines).

An official, on conditions of anonymity, said that the 12 had obtained wholesale license from the department to sell liquor only to the retailers and restaurant and bars.

“But we found that they were selling it to the local consumers as well. They had not even maintained the stock register.”

Sources said that if the answers to the notices are not satisfactory, the officials may cancel the wholesale licences.

This is for the first time such a strict action has been taken against a top BJP leader in Daman.

Daman and Diu BJP president Tandel said the business was being run by his son. “We will come up with an appropriate answer after consulting experts and the 11 other license holders. We will submit our answers to the Central Excise on time.”