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This is an archive article published on February 25, 1999
Scotch flows from a hotel basement
NEW DELHI, February 24: Monday was the day Scotch flowed on the streets. When a group of Customs officials walked into ITDC's duty-free w...
Written by Smeeta Mishra Pandey
February 25, 1999 12:00 AM IST
2 min read
2 min read
NEW DELHI, February 24: Monday was the day Scotch flowed on the streets. When a group of Customs officials walked into ITDC8217;s duty-free warehouse at the basement of Centaur Hotel at around 5 p.m. on February 22 to destroy damaged bottles of foreign liquor, those who happened to witness it got a chance to take home a bottle or two.
An eyewitness told Express Newsline: 8220;When we heard a lot of noise coming form the ITDC godown, we rushed down. We saw some people breaking expensive liquor bottles. I could not bear the sight. I asked the officials if I could take three bottles. When the official nodded I picked three Black Label bottles and rushed out.8221;
Soon, the word spread and there was a near stampede for bottles. 8220;People rushed to the basement from all floors of the hotel. The customs officials had already destroyed 1,000-odd bottles. We did not let them destroy the rest. It is not everyday that one gets Scotch free,8221; a Centaur hotel staffer said.
The Customs officials looked confused and did not know how to manage the situation. Vice-president of the duty-free shop in Delhi, Chandni Luthra said: 8220;The customs officials were destroying bottles that had been damaged in 8217;93-94 when the warehouse had been flooded with rain water. According to customs regulations, we cannot sell damaged bottles at our duty free shops at the airport8221;.
She added that it was the duty of the officials to see that no one makes good with the bottles.
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