Congress expels leader as BJP steps up attack over ‘links’ to liquor smuggling in Madhya Pradesh

The Congress expelled Rahul Jaiswal to distance the party from a police case tied to an alleged illicit liquor network. He lost all party positions and primary membership immediately. The move followed his arrest in connection with the death of Khategaon police station in-charge Dilip Puri in Dewas.

Police sources said Jaiswal was the Congress in-charge for the Khategaon Assembly constituency and a former district Youth Congress president. During questioning, he allegedly said he owned a 30% stake in a liquor shop linked to the network. Police also alleged that he coordinated liquor movement and distributed money from the trade.

The expulsion came as the BJP accused Congress figures of protecting smugglers and possibly using illegal-trade proceeds for party activities. Congress continued demanding an impartial investigation into the wider network. Jaiswal’s case therefore became both a criminal investigation and a political liability for the opposition.

Illicit liquor means alcohol produced, transported, or sold outside the permissions and safeguards required by law. Licensed shops receive official approval and must follow rules covering sourcing, sale, records, and often product standards. The article describes an alleged network that manufactured and distributed liquor illegally, rather than operating through the regulated system.

The key difference is oversight. A licensed shop is traceable through permits and official channels. An illicit network can move alcohol secretly between places and distribute money outside formal records. In this case, police alleged that liquor was moved through a network connected to shops and transported across state lines.

The Dewas investigation linked the alleged trade to deaths reported in nearby villages and to the killing of officer Dilip Puri. The administration disputed the claimed cause of the deaths, but police arrested over a dozen people. The case shows why illegal alcohol markets can become both a public-safety and enforcement problem.

The reported scale has two different parts. Residents of Chandana and Binjana villages said at least 13 people died after drinking suspected spurious liquor between September 27 and October 16. Several others reportedly experienced vomiting, dizziness, and eyesight problems. These claims formed the public-health backdrop to the Dewas investigation.

The administration challenged the villagers’ explanation. It said the deaths resulted from other medical conditions, accidents, and old age. Separately, police uncovered an alleged illegal liquor manufacturing and distribution network. They arrested over a dozen people, including Rahul Jaiswal in connection with the officer’s death and the suspected smuggling operation.

The figures should therefore be read with their qualifications. Thirteen is the number claimed by villagers, not an officially confirmed liquor-death total in the article. “Over a dozen” is the reported number of arrests as the broader investigation continued. Police were still examining the network and its interstate links.

The alleged smuggling network led to Puri’s death during a roadside interception. Puri was the in-charge of Khategaon police station and was investigating or acting against suspected illicit-liquor transport in Dewas. The incident turned a liquor investigation into a case involving the death of a police officer.

On November 1, Puri tried to intercept a suspected liquor truck on the Indore-Betul highway near Sandalpur. Police allege that the driver attempted to escape during the operation. The truck’s rear wheel ran over Puri, killing him. Constable Sohan Jat was also injured. Several people were arrested in connection with the case.

The investigation then widened beyond the immediate crash. Police examined alleged links to an interstate network that procured liquor in Madhya Pradesh and transported it to Gujarat. The Congress expelled Rahul Jaiswal after his arrest, while the broader inquiry into the network and possible political connections continued.

Police suspect liquor was transported from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat because Gujarat prohibits the sale of alcohol. That restriction may create demand that cannot be met through ordinary licensed sales. The article presents this as the suspected reason for the network’s interstate activity, not as a confirmed conclusion about every shipment.

The alleged mechanism involved obtaining liquor through outlets in Madhya Pradesh and moving it toward Gujarat. Police described a wider network of manufacturing, distribution, and money handling. They also alleged that Rahul Jaiswal helped coordinate liquor movement and the distribution of money generated by the trade.

This cross-border route matters because it expands the investigation beyond Dewas. It may involve suppliers, transporters, shop partners, and sellers in more than one state. Police were continuing to investigate the network’s interstate links. The suspected destination also became central to political claims about the scale and protection of the illegal trade.

When political figures are alleged to protect smugglers, the issue becomes larger than an individual criminal case. It can damage a party’s credibility, especially when that party is accusing the government of failing to control the same illegal trade. Voters may question whether the party’s public demands match its internal conduct.

In this case, the BJP alleged that the accused had political protection and asked whether illegal-liquor proceeds financed Congress activities. Cabinet minister Vishwas Sarang claimed Rahul Jaiswal and his brother were partners in a linked liquor shop and said Jaiswal was close to Jitu Patwari. These were political allegations, while police investigated the criminal case.

Congress responded by expelling Jaiswal and continuing to demand an impartial investigation. Expulsion can show distance and establish an internal consequence, but it does not decide guilt. Accountability still depends on the police investigation, evidence, and any later legal proceedings. The controversy placed Congress on the defensive.

Governments regulate or prohibit alcohol to manage public health, safety, social harm, and the way alcohol is produced and sold. Regulation can set conditions for sellers and create official oversight. Prohibition goes further by barring alcohol sales in a particular place. The article specifically notes that Gujarat prohibits alcohol sales.

Restrictions can also create incentives for illegal markets when people still seek alcohol. Smugglers may try to supply that demand outside licensed channels and earn money without following official rules. Police suspected that liquor was procured through Madhya Pradesh outlets and transported to Gujarat. The alleged network also involved manufacturing, distribution, and money movement.

The Dewas case shows the risks described in the article. Residents linked at least 13 deaths to suspected spurious liquor, though the administration disputed that explanation. A police operation against the network ended with officer Dilip Puri’s death. The investigation and political dispute were still continuing.