Pankaj Roy in liquor controversy

Calcutta's sheriff Pankaj Roy is having to face allegations of cheating regarding his wine shop at Salt Lake. According to sources in the Excise Department, Roy had duped the department to the tune of Rs 8,69,000 during the course of the last five years. As a result of this, the Excise Department has suspended Roy's license. The matter has reached such a stage that the Deputy Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadev Bhattacharya has ordered an enquiry into the matter.

The former Indian opening batsman and selector has the only wine shop in the Salt lake city area. As a result the shop has a daily selling figure of approximately Rs 60,000. According to the law in the state, each wine shop has to pay a tax to the excise department. The excise department levies the tax according to the sale acquired in each month. The Excise Inspector then, presents a chalan to the shop owner to deposit the amount at the Treasury. A copy of the chalan stays with the Department, one copy goes to the Treasury while the third is given to the shop owner. The Excise Department alleged that it was on this third copy that over writing had been carried out.

The sheriff however, has blamed a salesman of his shop for the entire controversy and maintains that he has already paid the amount that was due. The problem is that nobody in the Excise Department is prepared to believe him. So the last has obviously not been heard about this controversy.