Case booked against Adoni excise CI for black-marketing confiscated liquor

Tirupati: Dhone police in Nandyal district booked a case against Excise dept circle inspector Vara Lakshmi and a local person, Somnath, after the latter was caught red-handed while transporting large quantities of confiscated liquor bottles in his car.According to Dhone DSP Srinivasulu, during vehicular checks carried out near Chakirevumitta on Sunday night, police stumbled upon 379 liquor bottles being transported illegally in a car by Somnath, a resident of PR Palli.When the police questioned him, Somnath spilled the beans that these were confiscated liquor bottles seized by the excise dept. Somnath reportedly told the police that he was moving the liquor bottles to be sold at local belt shops on the instructions of Dhone excise CI Vara Lakshmi.When the Dhone police questioned Vara Lakshmi, she feigned ignorance and reportedly maintained that someone else from the excise dept may be involved."After the preliminary round of investigation confirmed the involvement of the excise CI, we have registered a case against Vara Lakshmi as well as Somnath. We will thoroughly investigate the case and get to the bottom of this confiscated liquor black marketing racket," Dhone DSP told reporters.Meanwhile, taking serious note of the developments, Nandyal district excise dept has initiated the process to surrender the accused excise CI to the govt even as the police dept is set to launch a detailed investigation into the case.