Fake liquor takes kick out of Tasmac stock

On Tuesday last, P Ravi a techie and his friend in Triplicane were hosting a party and sent their house help to fetch two quarter bottles of Bacardi rum from a TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) outlet nearby. The boy returned with two bottles of varying shapes – one was flat and the other round. Talking to DTNext, Ravi said, “The round bottle is clearly a fake. The bottle’s shape as the original is always flat while the one I got was round. Also, the original has a compressed cap, while the fake had a screw cap” he said. When contacted, a senior manager with TASMAC said that they were aware of the issue. "We are looking into the matter and will take appropriate action," he said.  

Discreet enquiries by this reporter revealed that in a shop which sells 1000 bottles (of all sizes) a day, salesmen easily get away by selling 50 bottles of fake liquor. “As customers are in a hurry to drink and leave, they rarely check the shape of the bottle,” a source revealed. As no receipts are issued for such ‘rush’ sales, salesman charge Rs.10 above the MRP rate for quarter bottles, Rs.20 more for half bottles and Rs.30 more for a full liquor bottle,” said the source. TASMAC has three customer care numbers 2852 1298, 2852 4606 and 2852 1970 for those wanting to register a complaint.