Pune Porsche Horror: Local MLA Alleges Police & Excise Dept Were Paid Rs 78 Lakhs Per Month ‘Hafta’

The Pune Police force and the State Excise Department personnel are now facing the focus following allegations that their monthly graft collection is of Rs78 lakh. Pune’s Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar has distributed a list of the bars and liquor shops which allegedly pass on a monthly ‘hafta’ to the two departments. He has charged that in the last two years, Rs 2.5 crore has been extorted by these authorities while issuing licenses for new pubs, bars and liquor shops. The list gives details about the establishments with their addresses and the monthly amount paid by them. Dangekar also disclosed the names of the ‘collectors’ who do the job of visiting these places and collecting cash amounts. He has claimed that this information has been supplied to him by the harassed staff members in the two departments. Dhangekar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushama Andhare stormed the Excise office in Pune on Monday (May 27) and took the officials there to task. When they were not satisfied with the official explanation about the action taken, the duo challenged the authorities to take them around to show the pubs and bars operating in and around Pune. The locations under their scanner include Viman Nagar, Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar, Bhugaon, Baner, Hinjewadi, Pimpri Chinchwad and the hill station of Lonawala. Dhangekar also raised questions about the closure action against various pubs and bars taken by the various Pune authorities, including the municipal corporation. “If these were illegal, how were they operating all this time?” he asked, warning that his agitation will intensify.