The Odisha Excise Department on Friday conducted a surprise raid at the bar of Hotel Indraprastha following allegations that expired liquor was being sold to customers. The establishment is located on Railway Station Road in Bolangir.
According to officials, the raid was carried out after customers lodged complaints regarding the sale of expired beer at the bar. Acting promptly, the Excise team inspected the premises and seized around 30 cartons of expired beer, amounting to approximately 234 litres.
During the inspection, officials examined procurement documents which reportedly indicated that the liquor stock had been sourced from the government English liquor warehouse in Sonepur.
Following the raid, the department registered a Severe Irregularity Report (SIR) against the bar owner for non-compliance with mandatory procedures under excise rules.
Excise Deputy Commissioner Sitakanta Muduli stated that as per law, the bar owner should have informed the department once the liquor stock expired in December. Instead, the expired liquor was kept aside in a separate room, with the owner claiming it would be destroyed later.
