Social resentment against the easy accessibility of liquor in rural Haryana turned violent today as a village community took the law into their own hands. The fire at the liquor vend has sent shockwaves through the local excise department, which had ignored previous complaints from the village Panchayat.
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The Trigger: The incident began around 6:30 PM when a group of village elders allegedly caught a minor boy purchasing liquor from the vend. “We have been warning the salesman for weeks. They are ruining our children for a few rupees. Today, our patience finally broke,” said a protesting woman at the site.
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The Escalation: What started as a heated argument quickly turned into a riotous assembly. A mob of over 100 people gathered, shouting slogans against the “liquor mafia.” Sensing the danger, the vend employees locked the cash box and fled through a back exit. The mob then broke the shutters, dragged out crates of liquor, and set the entire kiosk ablaze.
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Police & Fire Response: One fire tender from the Rohtak fire station arrived at the scene but struggled to reach the vend due to the crowd blocking the road. By the time the flames were extinguished, the structure was a charred shell. Police personnel from the local station have been deployed to prevent further clashes.
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Administrative Negligence: The Village Sarpanch claimed that the Panchayat had passed a resolution months ago to move the vend away from the village entrance near the school, but no action was taken by the Excise and Taxation Department.
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Legal Action: Police have registered a cross-FIR. While a case of arson and rioting has been filed against the unidentified members of the mob, the police are also investigating the charges of selling liquor to minors against the vend contractor.
Social Context: This incident mirrors a growing trend in Haryana where rural “Matri Shakti” (women’s power) groups are increasingly targeting liquor shops located near schools or residential areas. The state government’s current policy allows Panchayats to vote against vends, but villagers often claim the bureaucratic process is too slow to address immediate grievances.
