A shocking case has surfaced in Bolangir where expired beer was allegedly served to customers at the Indraprastha Hotel bar near the railway station.
Acting on complaints, the Excise Department conducted a raid and seized expired liquor from the premises.
Officials confirmed that the bar violated rules by failing to inform the Excise Department about expired stock. Regulations mandate that expired liquor must be reported and destroyed under official supervision. Instead, the bar allegedly served it to customers for profit.
During the raid, authorities discovered expired beer that had been lifted from the government OSBC warehouse in Sonepur on October 17. The stock remained unsold and eventually expired. Excise officials termed the lapse a “serious irregularity” and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the hotel bar.
Police also launched a parallel investigation after the bar owner’s brother allegedly provided false information to mislead officials. Balangir Town Police are probing the matter as a criminal offence.
Locals expressed concern over the health risks of consuming expired liquor, calling it potentially poisonous. They demanded strict action against those responsible and questioned how expired stock reached customers without detection.
The Excise Department assured that further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and identify accountability. Authorities are examining when the liquor arrived, how long it was stored, and why it was not reported.
