South Delhi night club loses licence for duty free booze

The Delhi excise department suspended the licence of a night club in the South Extension area on Thursday after it found that non-duty-paid foreign liquor of premium brands was being served to customers.

The department also raided South Delhi’s Casino Club, the SOHO bar, a bar in Aerocity and one in Netaji Subhash Place on Wednesday. It also raided a Code and Lounge Bar in South Extension on Thursday.

The officials said that in both raids, minors were served alcohol and a huge amount of nonduty-paid liquor was recovered.

The Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB) ACP Alok Kumar said, We got a tip-off after which we raided the bar around 1.30 a.m. He said that the team was not allowed to go inside the premises. Owner of the bar, Sahil, also obstructed and manhandled the team at the entrance, according to Kumar. Lights in the premises were also switched off for about two hours.

A huge number of NDPL bottles, swipe machines, sale registers and other valuable documents were seized by the officials. Hookah was also recovered. Bottles of White Rhino beer (export only), Jack Daniels, and Dome champagne were recovered from the night club.

We have suspended the licence of the night club and sealed its premises after we found that non-duty-paid foreign liquor of premium brands was being served to the customers, Kumar said.

According to the official, liquor meant for sale in Haryana was being served at the night club.

On June 9, the department had busted an illegal rave party at Chattarpur and seized various narcotic substances, including cocaine.

Minors were also served alcohol at the party and most of those who attended it were from Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, the official said on Thursday.

The excise department had seized more than 300 bottles of liquor and around 350 beer bottles from the party’s venue.

Cocaine and other drugs were also seized from the venue, the official said, adding that at least 15 members of the organising team were arrested after the department busted the illegal rave party.