A meeting of senior police officials of north Bihar’s Tirhut police zone has decided to initiate disciplinary action against 52 policemen, who were allegedly aiding and abetting illegal liquor trade.
According to a Hindustan Times report, Sunil Kumar, Tirhut IG, has taken the decision to initiate disciplinary action after chief minister Nitish Kumar issued a recent directive for “exemplary punishment” to policemen who had been letting illegal liquor trade flourish in Bihar.
The 10 police districts in Tirhut zone are Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, West Champaran, Bagaha, Sitamarhi, Vaishali, Sheohar, Saran, Siwan and Gopalganj. The IG has said that directives had also been issued to SPs of all the 10 districts in the zone to start proceedings to confiscate property of all identified active liquor traders and auction the vehicles which were seized while transporting alcohol.
According to the report, 244 persons have been identified as those who are active in liquor trade in north Bihar. Besides, 52 police officials have also been found abetting the illegal business. While the property of 244 people will be confiscated, names of involved police officials have been sent to the police headquarters for action and departmental proceedings,” said Kumar.
He said the SPs and other officials concerned had also been asked to complete investigations in such cases in which huge consignments were seized.
Since total prohibition, around 8,800 persons have been arrested, while 3.13 lakh litres of liquor has been seized in Tirhut division.
Muzaffarpur district magistrate Dharmendra Kumar Singh has also ordered confiscation of property of 10 liquor traders and auction their vehicles. He also ordered attachment of property in nine cases, while directing for auction of 15 vehicles.
Bihar became a dry state on April 5, last year. Consuming, keeping or dealing in liquor is an offence under the state’s new excise prohibition law, which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years.
