Bhatton ki Dhani, where Bachchus lives

JAIPUR, JUNE 3: A whole village involved in brewing and selling illicit country liquor has been in high spirits right next to the state capital Jaipur near the national highway.They have been at the deadly brew for several years, and the place, Bhatton ki Dhani, near Kankrel village, had even acquired a connotative name of its own, “RIICO Factory”, thumbing its nose at RIICO (Rajasthan Industrial Investment Corporation Ltd), the government agency for promoting industries, which has set up several industrial zones and townships all over the state. Like these zones, this “RIICO Factory” too had dozens of distilling plants. The villagers had dug a pond for reservoir. The distilling plants were set up around it.

But the police pooped the party on Thursday, busting operations and destroying about five to six thousand litres, as they did not have the means to carry the entire quantity. A total of 1700 litres of it was seized. Other items included 13 motorcycles and large quantities of raw materials for manufacturing hooch.

It was not as if the police had not tried earlier. It was not an easy task. The villagers, "Chowkidar Meenas”, a Scheduled Tribe, turned aggressive and prevented them from carrying out raids, if not actually chasing the police away. They put bullock carts and other obstacles on the roads to block their way and stoned them. By the time the police cleared the hurdles and reach the spot, they found the incriminating evidence missing.

This time, the police chalked out a meticulous plan. First, 60-70 armed policemen in plain clothes were sent in tractors and other unmarked vehicles, to take position at decided check-points in an around the village. Once this was done, another contingent moved in at once. The fleeing villagers were nabbed at the check points. Soni said the leader of the lot was Hanuman Meena. The police are probing possible linkages of the villagers with the liquor mafia.