Mumbai hooch tragedy kingpin arrested in Delhi

New Delhi/Mumbai, June 23 The main accused in the Mumbai hooch tragedy, in which at least 102 people have died, was arrested in the national capital on Tuesday and handed over to Mumbai police by a court.

The 26-year-old bootlegger named Mansur Latif Shaikh was arrested from Seelampur area in east Delhi by a special Delhi Police team, Deputy Commissioner of Police Veenu Bansal told IANS. In Mumbai, police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni, also confirmed the arrest.

A duty magistrate handed over Shaikh's custody to Mumbai police, a team of which is in the national capital. The court directed them to produce him before a court in Mumbai by Thursday.

During interrogation, Shaikh accepted the allegations and said that he came to Delhi from Mumbai on Monday.

A Delhi Police statement said: "Shaikh was involved in the business of sale and supply spurious liquor for the last three years. His father used to do such activity and had introduced him to other people in this trade.

"After death of his father, he started doing this activity with his partners. He use to supply spurious illicit liquor to Frances and Gentle Saleem, who packed it in plastic pouches and sold in Malwani area of Mumbai." 

Bansal told IANS that a few days ago, Mumbai police contacted them and shared the information that Mumbai's hooch tragedy main accused is hiding in Delhi "following which I deputed a special team and conducted raids at several places in east Delhi on the basis of specific inputs".

"Finally the accused was arrested from his friend's residence in Seelampur area," he said.

In Mumbai, Kulkarni said Shaikh had been arrested in a joint operation.

"In a joint operation, the Mumbai and Delhi Police teams have arrested Mansur Latif Shaikh alias Atiq. Further investigations are underway," Kulkarni told IANS.

Atiq, who operates from Mumbai, is believed to be the main supplier of the killer brew which led to the state's worst ever illicit liquor tragedy, he added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the police and home department to ensure the death penalty for all those responsible for the hooch tragedy. Earlier, the state government ordered a probe into the incident by Chief Secretary S. Kshatriya.