Srinivasa Wines in Vidyadharpuram, Vijayawada, owned by prime accused Addepalli Janardhan Rao, where the excise officials detected spurious liquor early this month, was finally closed on Friday.
The wine shop was continuing to operate without any action from the prohibition and excise department, even after the unearthing of spurious liquor scam.
This led to the local people and political parties staging an agitation near the wine shop and attacking it.
On Friday, the Andhra Pradesh prohibition and excise department finally cancelled the licence of Srinivasa Wines in Bhavanipur after detecting irregularities.
Officials said the shop was allegedly selling counterfeit liquor transported from Ibrahimpatnam, where a spurious liquor unit had been busted earlier.
Following an inquiry, excise authorities issued notices to the bar owner and, dissatisfied with his explanation, revoked the shop’s licence.
Investigations revealed that the fake liquor sold in ANR Bar at Ibrahimpatnam had traces identical to those found in bottles seized from a Vijayawada wine shop.
Further probe linked the fake liquor to Addepalli Janardhana Rao, the prime accused in the counterfeit liquor racket, who reportedly had a business partnership in Srinivasa Wines.
With the cancellation of the licence, officials reiterated that the government was taking zero tolerance measures to prevent sale of adulterated liquor and overpricing.
The coalition government recently directed excise officials to launch state-wide inspections using digital tracking systems and advanced forensic methods.
Belt shops and unauthorized outlets have been placed under strict surveillance, and large-scale raids are being conducted across districts to curb illegal liquor trade.
