Guntur: In a dramatic and unexpected incident, local residents in Guntur openly looted seized liquor bottles in full view of the police. The incident unfolded while officers attempted to destroy confiscated alcohol worth Rs 50 lakh, but despite police efforts to maintain order, the crowd persisted in taking away bottles.
Seized Liquor Becomes Target of Looters
The liquor, which had been seized by the Guntur police during the recent assembly and Lok Sabha elections, was stored in the police malkhana. Following orders from Superintendent of Police (SP) Satish Kumar, arrangements were made for the destruction of 24,031 liquor bottles at a designated dumping yard in Nallacheruvu on Etukuru Road.
The destruction process, supervised initially by senior police officers, involved using a bulldozer to crush the bottles. However, shortly after the destruction began, the senior officers left the scene, leaving a handful of junior officers to manage the situation.
Chaos Erupts as Crowd Seizes Opportunity
With the departure of the senior police officers, a crowd of locals who had gathered to witness the destruction seized the opportunity and began looting the liquor bottles in front of the remaining police personnel. Some individuals were seen grabbing bottles of their choice and making a swift exit, ignoring the police’s attempts to stop them.
A video of the incident, which shows the chaotic scene with people grabbing bottles from a pile while policemen attempt to stop them, has since gone viral on social media. In the footage, some officers can be seen trying to control the situation, but their efforts were largely in vain as the looting continued.
Police Response and Legal Actions
Reacting to the incident, the police have stated that some individuals have been identified and had their looted bottles seized. However, several others have managed to flee the scene. Authorities have assured that they will identify and take legal action against all those involved in the looting.
This surprising turn of events has raised questions about the adequacy of the police’s arrangements and security measures during the destruction of seized goods.
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