Despite Bihar being a dry State since 2016, cases pertaining to the illegal procurement and sale of liquor through unique means, attacks on the officials by the liquor mafias, and people dying due to hooch tragedies have been coming to the fore on a regular interval.
In the latest development, a team of Bihar police raided and unearthed an illegal liquor haunt being operated in a graveyard in Rohtas district on June 5. As per the media reports, the development occurred when a few locals who went there for a funeral informed the police about the liquor pouches lying around an open grave near the Alwal Khan tomb under Darigaon police station limits of Rohtas.
Learning about the incident, a police team then raided and seized around 25 litres of country-made liquor in plastic bags from the graveyard. The police have also registered a case against unknown illegal liquor traders in the Darigaon police station. Though no arrest pertaining to the case has been made yet.
In another development in the district, a team of excise officials who were taking a few arrested liquor mafia to the police station was attacked by a group of goons in Dayal Bigha village of Rohtas.
The incident occurred when around seven officials, including two women constables on a specific input, raided and arrested as many as four persons involved in illegal liquor sales in Dayal Bigha village. The police team, after the arrest, was taking the accused in a vehicle when they were attacked by a group of mafia-backed goons.
It’s been reported that the arrested smugglers have managed to flee from the spot during the attack. Later on, a police team then re-raided the spot and arrested two more smugglers from the same location.
It is to be noted that this is not the first time that a police team have been attacked by the liquor mafia goons in the bordering district; earlier, in a similar incident, as many as four excise officials were also attacked by a group of mafia-backed goons in Manaura village under Vikram ganj police station limits of Rohtas on April 28 this year.
It was then reported that a team of excise officials, including two women constables, raided the village after a specific input of illegal liquor being sold there. After arriving on the spot, the team identified and nabbed four people; however, soon, their supporters started a ruckus and attacked the officials with bricks and lathis releasing the liquor suppliers.
Let us tell you that Rohtas is not the only district where a police team has been attacked by the liquor mafia lately. Similar attacks have been reported from other districts of Bihar, including Arrah, Saran, Siwan and Patna.
Earlier, in a similar incident, an excise official team was also targeted by supporters of liquor mafias in Musepur tola under Bihta police station limits of Patna in April this year. The incident occurred when a team of officials raided the village and nabbed a liquor mafia from there. Though the mafia supporters soon launched an attack on the excise team vehicle and released the accused.
In another incident reported from Agarsanda lal bazaar of Bhojpur district, a police team was also attacked by the goons when the team arrested liquor mafias involved in the illegal trade of liquor from the location. It was then reported that the mafia’s supporters attacked the police team with bricks and stones and took the accused along with them.
It should be noted that the law and order of the State have been under the scanner lately as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata party on many occasions has alleged the mahagathbandhan Government to go soft on the criminals and mafias.
