29 cartons of illegal liquor seized from a Swift car; police say consignment was meant for supply to dhabas and grocery shops in tribal belt.

Early Monday morning, police in Khalwa town carried out a major seizure of illegal liquor, arresting a dhaba owner who is the nephew of a local representative of a Union minister. Around 290 litres of liquor were found in his car.

The arrest has brought fresh focus back on the network of bootlegging that allegedly operates with political protection in this tribal-dominated region of Khargone district. Police have identified the accused as Amit Bhati, who runs an eatery by the riverbank in Khalwa.

His accomplice, identified as Phoolsingh from Kotha village, managed to flee the spot on seeing the police vehicle. A search is currently on to locate him.

 How the Liquor Was Meant to Flow

According to initial investigation reports, the consignment of 29 cartons – totalling 290 litres – was being brought in from Chhanera. The plan was to discreetly supply this stock to several small dhabas and kirana shops in the interior parts of the Khalwa region.

Officials said that these establishments often use their storefronts as a cover to serve or sell liquor to customers illegally, particularly during late evening hours. Bhati’s own dhaba was also under scrutiny for similar activities in the past, according to local sources.

 Political Muscle Allegedly Shielded Operations

What makes this case different is the political background of the main accused. Amit Bhati is the nephew of Ramchandra Bhati, who is a close aide and the local representative of Union Minister and regional MP Durgadas Uike.

“Sources familiar with the matter said that due to this connection and lack of concrete evidence earlier, police had found it difficult to act against him in the past,” a senior officer said on condition of anonymity.

It was only around 4 am on Monday, during a routine night patrol, that a team managed to intercept the Swift car coming from the Chhanera side and caught him red-handed.

 The Syndicate Chain

Preliminary questioning has revealed a clearer picture of how the supply chain works. The accused allegedly purchased this stock from a licensed liquor shop in Chhanera. However, investigators suspect that shop’s operations are controlled by a larger syndicate of bootleggers.

This syndicate reportedly supplies liquor at a high commission to smaller hotel and kirana owners in the tribal belt. The public has often complained about the open sale of illicit liquor in the area, but action has remained slow until a major catch like this happens.

 Official Confirmation and Next Steps

Khalwa police have registered a case under section 34/2 of the Excise Act. The seized Swift car has also been taken into custody.

“During night patrolling, our team carried out this action. We have recovered 29 cartons containing a total of 290 litres of liquor from inside the vehicle,” said Jagdish Sindia, Town Inspector (TI) of Khalwa police station. “One accused has been arrested, and efforts are on to nab the second one who fled.”

The FIR was registered around 5 am Monday morning, and further investigation is underway to trace the syndicate's wider network.