The main owner of ‘The Theka’, a liquor vend from where a massive cache of untaxed imported foreign liquor was recently seized, has been arrested after fleeing abroad. The accused, Sugreev Kumar (41), was detained at Delhi airport on Tuesday after returning from Bali, Indonesia, police said.

The arrest follows the recovery of an illegal liquor haul worth nearly ₹10 crore from a wine shop in the city earlier this month.

Arrest after international escape

According to investigators, Kumar left India for Bali immediately after the raid, prompting authorities to track his movements. He was taken into custody upon arrival at the airport and brought in for questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

During interrogation, Kumar told police that he held a 50 per cent stake in the liquor shop.

Previous criminal record

The SIT revealed that Kumar has a criminal history. He was earlier booked under the Excise Act in 2011 at the DLF Phase-2 police station, indicating prior involvement in similar offences.

Police said this background strengthened suspicions that the current operation was part of an organised and well-planned racket.

Five arrests so far

With Kumar’s arrest, the total number of people held in the case has risen to five. Those already arrested include:

  • Ankush Goyal, a 25 per cent stakeholder
  • Ajay, the shop manager
  • Ajay, the delivery driver
  • Manoj, who allegedly prepared fake transport documents

Another stakeholder, believed to be a relative of Goyal, is still absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him.

How the racket was exposed

The illegal operation came to light on December 9, when the excise department received a tip-off about a large stock of foreign liquor hidden inside a wine shop located in Signature Tower.

A joint raid by police and excise officials led to the recovery of 3,921 cases and 176 bottles of imported foreign liquor from two concealed rooms within the shop.

Serious violations found

Officials said none of the seized bottles carried mandatory holograms or track-and-trace strips, confirming that the stock had evaded excise duty and regulatory checks.

Further investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the liquor, possible interstate links, and the full scale of the illegal distribution network.