Karwar: Search operation at houses triggers high drama

Karwar: A large number of police personnel and excise officials on Friday searched houses at Gabitawada area of Majali village in Karwar taluk. The search operation was carried out to arrest the culprits who had attacked some excise officials on Monday. Hundreds of police personnel were part of the operation which, however, yielded no result. Police are on the lookout for 30 people who had allegedly attacked a team of excise officials in Gabitawada. According to the complaint lodged at Chittakula police station, a team of officials led by a woman inspector of the excise department had seized a huge quantity of Goa liquor and a scooter. They arrested a person was allegedly smuggling the liquor through the sea. Soon after the arrest, a mob of 100 persons allegedly waylaid the vehicle carrying the excise officials and attacked them. They allegedly dragged the accused out of the excise office jeep and allowed him to escape. They also snatched the officials’ cellphones as they were videographing the goings-on. The entire consignment of the seized liquor was taken away by the mob. A former MLA from Karwar had led them in the attack, according to excise officials. Following the incident, police registered an FIR against 27 persons. They have been booked under various sections, including robbery and preventing government officials from discharging duty. Excise officials too had registered a separate case against three persons. However, all the accused have gone underground. Even on Friday, some women in the village tried to block the entry of police personnel into the area, and put up stiff resistance to their houses being searched. However, a large posse of policemen took control of the situation. But police and excise officials could not find any illegal liquor stocked up in these houses during the search. Gabitawada in Majali abutting the beach is infamous for smuggling of liquor from Goa. Source: Times Of India