This story is from July 10, 2020

Nearly 60% of illegal booze sellers in Gujarat are women

In the illicit trade of liquor in dry Gujarat, women seem to be equal partner in crime. In fact, of the 460 listed bootleggers in Ahmedabad district, nearly 60% are women, say senior officials of the prevention of crime branch (PCB).
Nearly 60% of illegal booze sellers in Gujarat are women
Representative image
AHMEDABAD: In the illicit trade of liquor in dry Gujarat, women seem to be equal partner in crime. In fact, of the 460 listed bootleggers in Ahmedabad district, nearly 60% are women, say senior officials of the prevention of crime branch (PCB).
In Kalupur-Dariyapur area which was once the fiefdom of Gujarat's most notorious bootlegger Latif, the name Amina Shaikh is widely known among local lovers of Bacchus.

Shaikh, a 38-year-old stunning beauty, who in the past had shot to limelight after a police inquiry was ordered following a scandal of policemen getting selfies clicked with her post her arrests, has some 12 prohibition cases naming her, say cops.
“But she is a slick operator and refrains from entering into scuffles. She is rather known to strike compromises and keep moving forward,” said a police official.
However, there are some women bootleggers who revel in showing off their `notoriety'. Sitara, operating in Bapunagar area, is notorious for not just bootlegging but also assault cases and has been arrested multiple times. Her side-kicks routinely post her videos tackling her opponents in a bid to fortify her ‘don't-messwith-Sitara’ image, say locals.
“She works hand in gloves with some cops. There has also been instances where calls made to cops against her illegal operations have resulted in her threatening the callers," said a local.

In Kantodiyawaas in Raipur which had seen many lose lives in the 2009 hooch tragedy, Geeta Dantani ruled the illegal liquor market. She also goes by the moniker of `Geeta Batliwala' as she is known to smuggle `quarters'.
"She vends both country liquor as well as IMFL but trades mainly in quarter bottles containing 180 ml alcohol," said a local cop.
Dhanbai Miyana is another listed bootlegger in the cops' list. Police sources say she is a third generation woman bootlegger whose maternal grandmother and mother both were in this illegal trade. While she dominated Madhavpura and surrounding areas, she has allowed her daughters to leave the `family business' and get rehabilitated by the police.
Women dominate booze trade
Women have been part of the illegal liquor trade for decades in Ahmedabad. They flourished as women joined the business after a large number of mills closed, pushing many families into financial crisis. Some have picked up reins from their husbands. Many are also encouraged by their partners to keep bootlegging under cover,For the past two years, the number of women has risen as listed bootleggers after police crackdown following tightening of liquor laws," said a senior PCB official.
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