India: Police seize and shut down 'whiskey ice cream' racket in Hyderabad

Excise Department officials in the Indian city of Hyderabad have seized and shut down an ice cream parlour for selling ice cream mixed with whiskey, and arrested several people involved in the act, the Telangana police said on Friday (Sep 6).

The incident came to light when the Excise Department team raided Arika Cafe Ice Cream Parlour on roads 1 and 5 in the Jubilee Hills area of the city.

During the raid, the police seized 23 pieces, totalling 11.5 kg of whiskey ice cream, and registered a case against the accused.

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The ice cream parlour is owned and operated by Sharath Chandra Reddy, who has been mixing 60 ml of whiskey into each kilogram of ice cream and selling it at increased prices.

Advertised on Facebook to attract customers

Other people were also involved in the racket, including Dayakar Reddy and Shobhan, who were advertising their ice cream on the social media app Facebook, to attract and gain more customers.

The police are investigating the case further.

Separate incident: Officials seized non-duty paid liquor

In a separate incident on Thursday, the officials seized non-duty-paid liquor, valued at USD 4000 at RTC Cross Roads in Hyderabad.

The accused, Gopal Agrawal, was found transporting the liquor from Chandigarh in a vehicle and was attempting to sell it at a higher price in Hyderabad.

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Agrawal bought the liquor for USD 1572 in Chandigarh, to sell it in Hyderabad for USD 4764, aiming for a significant profit, according to the Excise Department.

Moreover, the authorities are probing the case and are taking action against these illegal activities to ensure public safety.

(With inputs from agencies)