Bootlegger Flees, But His Bike Gets Named ‘Accused’ In Gujarat Liquor Raid

In Gujarat’s commercial capital, where bootleggers often manage to stay one step ahead of law enforcement, Sarkhej police at least ensured one “accused” did not escape the crime scene - a motorcycle. In a bizarre prohibition case registered on Sunday, Sarkhej police booked a black-and-red Hero Splendor motorcycle after an alleged bootlegger fled from an illegal liquor distillation unit operating in the Sabarmati riverbed near old Vanzar village.

According to the FIR filed by assistant constable Kanaksinh Lakhdhirsinh, the police team was patrolling the area around noon when they received specific information about liquor being brewed in the riverbed. Accompanied by panch witnesses and police personnel, officers navigated through narrow muddy paths and dense shrubbery before noticing smoke billowing from bushes deep inside the area.

At the spot, police allegedly found a man sitting on the motorcycle near a fully operational liquor furnace. However, before officers could close in, the suspect spotted the police from a distance and bolted into thick bushes, disappearing within seconds and abandoning his motorcycle behind.

With the alleged bootlegger absconding, the FIR officially named the ‘Black Hero Splendor motorcycle with red stripes’ as the “accused”, ensuring the vehicle itself became central to the prohibition case.

“It has been observed that when an accused person is absconding, some police stations just list whatever they can find as the accused. It just shows their laziness and lackadaisical attitude,” a police source said.

While the bootlegger remains officially “unknown”, police meticulously documented the motorcycle’s registration details, engine number and chassis number.

During the raid, officers claimed to have seized nearly 240 litres of country liquor along with around 1,100 litres of fermented wash used in the brewing process. The wash was allegedly stored in iron drums and plastic-lined pits hidden across the riverbed area.

Police also recovered aluminium containers, measuring equipment and a locked mobile phone from the spot. Every seized item was assigned a market value, taking the total worth of the muddamal to approximately Rs 1.12 lakh. The motorcycle alone was valued at Rs 30,000 — enough to emerge as one of the most talked-about “accused” in the case.

The FIR further noted that due to a “technical glitch”, the e-panchnama under the police department’s e-Sakshya platform could not be completed at the spot and was later carried out at the police station.