In a first-of-its-kind action against illicit liquor trade, the special Gangster Act court of Ambedkar Nagar in UP has declared property worth Rs 1.7 crore of alleged hooch kingpin Motilal Gupta as govt property. According to court records, Gupta, a resident of Azamgarh, ran a large-scale operation producing spurious country liquor packaged with fake labels and sold across nearby villages and districts. The illegal trade came to light after a tragedy on May 10, 2021, when several villagers died from consuming the toxic brew. Gupta and ten associates were booked under the UP Gangsters Act, and their properties were seized. The court later upheld the seizure, stating that Gupta and his wife failed to prove lawful ownership, and confirmed the assets as state property.