New Delhi:
An 83-year-old man was arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for running a factory of fake caps that were used in bottles of fake Scotch whiskey. The man had been running the factory for last 40 years but this was the first time that he was caught by the police.
DCP (Crime Branch), Ashok Chand, said the accused identified as Darshan Lal Sharma was running the factory along with his accomplice Ranjit Sharma (32), who too was arrested. "We received a tip-off that an 83-year-old man was running a factory in Shastri Nagar area in north-west Delhi where he manufactured fake bottle caps of various brands of Scotch whiskey. A raid was conducted at the factory and the duo was arrested," said Chand.
The DCP said finished and semi-finished caps of Johnny Walker Red Label, Johnny Walker Black Label and Johnny Walker Double Black Label and metal sheets from which caps were made were recovered. The police also seized five machines used in manufacturing the caps. A case under Copyright Act has been registered in this connection.
"Darshan Lal Sharma claimed that he had been running the factory alone for the last 40 years but as age caught up with him, he hired Ranjit some two years ago to help him out. Ranjit had earlier been arrested by Sarai Rohilla police in 2010 for manufacturing fake caps and was out on the bail," said DCP. He added the caps were supplied to units in Kolkata and Mumbai.
A senior official said that Darshan had learnt this trade from a goon in Mumbai. "Once he had gone to Mumbai before the country had got Independence and there he was hired by a goon to beat his (goon's) rivals. The goon was in the business of manufacturing illicit liquor and Darshan picked up the 'tricks of the trade' from him.