A planned destruction drive in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, intended to destroy seized liquor bottles worth over ₹50 lakh, took a chaotic turn when locals seized the opportunity to loot the alcohol. A viral video capturing the frenzy has spread across social media, drawing both amusement and concern over the lack of crowd control during the event.
The incident unfolded when police, under the instructions of Guntur SP S. Satish Kumar, lined up the confiscated liquor bottles at Nalla Cheruvu dumping yard for a public relations shoot ahead of the planned destruction. These bottles were collected during the recent Assembly Elections. However, once the news spread about the impending destruction, locals rushed to the scene and began grabbing bottles before the police could destroy them.
Police ko liquor disposal Karna tha aur Andhra ke logon ne loot macha di.
😂😂 pic.twitter.com/2t5M1nCaJt— Ashish (@error040290) September 10, 2024
Despite repeated warnings and even physical intervention from the police, the crowd remained undeterred. The video shows people rushing past police officers, some even enduring baton strikes (lathis) in their efforts to grab bottles of liquor.
The viral footage depicts officers attempting to stop the looters, but with little success. As some individuals continued to flee with their spoils, others defiantly argued with the officers, refusing to return the bottles. Though some people did eventually place the bottles back, the majority of the looters got away.
Police have now launched an investigation to track down those involved in the looting.
The viral video garnered widespread attention online, with many people reacting humorously to the chaotic scene. One X user commented, “The last guy literally debated two police officers and convinced them to let him go with the bottle.” Another remarked, “Locals thought they had organised a liquor langar,” while a third user humorously noted, “When life is stranger than fiction.”
Despite the humorous reactions, the event has raised questions about how public destruction drives are managed, particularly when the items being destroyed hold significant value.
With the footage gaining millions of views and social media abuzz with jokes, the Guntur police are under pressure to identify the perpetrators. An investigation has been initiated to locate those who successfully looted the bottles and determine whether additional security measures could have been implemented to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
