Five held under PASA

SURAT, July 7: The city Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB) on Wednesday arrested five women bootleggers under provisions of the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act and despatched them to various State jails to serve sentences.

The arrest of the women, who were temporarily lodged in the Umra police station before being escorted to serve sentences, saw atleast 100 sympathisers — comprising relatives and villagers — gathering at the police station and urging the police to free them. Some even cried inconsolably while the five were being escorted to the jails, the police station PSO said.

Those arrested have been identified are Vajuben Nama Patel, Sharda Ramesh Jaga, Savita Govind Bhikha, Anita Subhash Chhaniya and Neeru Chiman Balu, all residents of Khajod village on the outskirts of the city.

All the five were neighbours and were involved in manufacturing country liquor in haathbhattis in the village, the PCB said, adding that they also supplied the produce in the city on a daily basis and were habitual offenders. While Vaju, Anita and Neeru have been despatched to the Sabarmati Central jail, Sharda and Savita have been despatched to the Vadodara Central jail.