Gujrat: Canacona liquor trader Ligorio D’Souza has been directed by the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad to appear before the Investigation Officer on December 27 in connection with two separate cases of liquor smuggling into the dry state.
In August this year, Gujarat Police teams sought Ligorio in Canacona for inquiries related to cases under the Prohibition Act. Despite two attempts by the Gujarat Police and local assistance, Ligorio remained untraceable. Seeking refuge from arrest, Ligorio approached the District and Sessions court in Kachch, where the anticipatory bail application was initially rejected. However, he later obtained anticipatory bail from the High Court of Gujarat in Ahmedabad.
The High Court, granting the anticipatory bail, has mandated Ligorio’s presence before the Adesar Police Station and Samakhiali Police Station in Kachch district on December 27 from 11 am to 2 pm. Additionally, the court has instructed Ligorio to surrender his passport, refrain from leaving the country without court permission, provide his permanent address to the investigation agency, and maintain his current residence until the case’s resolution.
Emphasizing legal compliance, the High Court explicitly prohibits Ligorio from engaging in any illegal activities, particularly the supply of liquor in retail or wholesale within the State of Gujarat. The court has also granted the investigating agency the authority to take Ligorio into custody during the investigation of the prohibition cases filed against him.
Ligorio was implicated by individuals caught illegally transporting liquor worth Rs 45.70 lakh at Samkhiyali national highway in Gujarat. The investigation revealed a network spanning three states – Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, with Ligorio allegedly serving as the supplier of the illicit liquor.
It’s noteworthy that Ligorio faced charges from the Goa Excise department in 2010 for operating an illegal liquor unit near the Goa-Karnataka border. According to Excise officials, Ligorio was involved in the production and distribution of various brands of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in Goa and Karnataka.
