DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij On Thursday said he has recommended action against the state excise and taxation commissioner and a senior police official based on a report in connection with the theft of seized liquor from godowns. The state government had formed a special enquiry team (SET) in May this year after the alleged theft of liquor from two Sonipat godowns. The state police had nabbed prime accused Bhupinder Singh from Sonipat. They had also recovered Rs 97 lakh in cash, two pistols and three mobile phones besides a sports utility vehicle during a raid at a flat in Chandigarh. Sharing details from a 2,000-page report submitted by the SET on July 31, the minister said it has found that illegal sale of liquor had been taking place in the state during the coronavirus lockdown. "This is mainly because of the systemic flaws in the functioning of the Excise Department at least since 2011-12 and also non-implementation of its own instructions, lack of monitoring and in some instances possible collusion or negligence on the part of some excise officials as well as police officials," Vij told reporters quoting the report. Vij said on the basis of the report, he has recommended to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that suitable action be taken against Excise and Taxation Commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi and IPS officer Prateeksha Godara for various "lapses pointed out by the SET". The minister said he has also recommended an in-depth probe by the State Vigilance Bureau. To a question, he said, "Had there been a special investigation team, may be we would not have needed to hand over the matter for further probe to the vigilance." On May 6, Vij had announced the formation of a special investigation team but the state government later formed an SET, a move criticised by the Opposition Congress, which claimed that it lacked powers to investigate. Vij said the SET interacted with present Sonipat SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa and former district SP Prateeksha Godara. About Godara, Vij said the SET has commented that she was "oblivious of the fact that main accused Bhupinder Singh was a smuggler and he was provided two gunmen as security". "Besides, a gun licence was given to Bhupinder despite the fact that when he had applied for it, he had five cases registered against him," said Vij. (editor@dailyworld.in)