Rajkot: One the most wanted bootleggers of Gujarat Yogesh Batuk Kher , was arrested in Surat by Amreli police on Saturday. He had been absconding for the last two years.Considered as one of the biggest bootleggers in Gujarat, Kher is wanted in four districts with 18 offences registered against him under Prohibition Act in Amreli district itself. Kher (43), was first arrested under Pasa (Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act) in 2015 and sent to Mehsana district jail.A resident of Ganga Vihar Society in Amreli, Kher continued his bootlegging activities after he was released from Mehsana jail in 2016. He also managed to spread his network to other parts of the state.Amreli superintendent of police Nirlipt Rai told TOI, “Kher used to get IMFL (Indian made foreign liquor) from Haryana and Rajasthan, for distribution in various parts of Saurashtra. His network slowly spread all across Gujarat.”Kher’s name cropped up after police seized a large consignment of IMFL in Jafrabad in 2017. Those arrested during the raid told police that they worked for Kher. Kher was on the run ever since.Amreli police sent at team to Surat to arrested Kher after getting specific information about his presence there.According to police sources, Kher is considered to be the biggest bootlegger of Saurashtra and operated in Amreli, Botad, Junagadh, Bhavnagar and Rajkot districts.Police sources further said that Kher has strong connections with local politicians and even senior police officers.After getting bail, Yogesh violated his bail condition by not producing himself in court hearings and as a result arrest warrants were issued against him by courts in Liliya in Amreli and Jasdan in Rajkot.TRUCK DRIVER’S ARREST LED COPS TO KHERA truck driver arrested earlier this year with 742 boxes of IMFL by Umrala police in Bhavnagar had confessed that Kher had supplied the liquor.Bhadresh Kaka, who was arrested by Kheda town police in 2017 with 900 boxes of IMFL, told police that the liquor was supplied by Yogesh Kher.Keshod police in Gir-Somnath seized 20 boxes of liquor in 2016 which were allegedly supplied by KherOf the 18 offences registered against Kher in Amreli district, seven are in Amreli city, one in Amreli taluka police station, five at Pipavav marine police station, one each in Liliya, Lathi and Dhari and two at Jafrabad marine police station.

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