Rats and policemen drinking banned liquor in Bihar? Probe ordered

With alcohol out of bounds for people in Bihar, rodent denizens of police stations are on a binge defying the ban and guzzling down seized liquor as the role of the police too came under a cloud.

With the rats running riot and the men in uniform not above suspicion, policemen in police stations would now be subjected to random breath analyser test to check whether they too had a swig or two of the confiscated booty, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI today.

Maharaj who met new Patna range Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajesh Kumar said the police would approach courts to seek permission for destroying the heap of alcohol bottles kept in police stores at small intervals.

Regular audit of "malkhana" (store room in police station) is another remedy thought to check any misuse of the stocked liquor, Maharaj said.

Meanwhile, the state police headqquarters has ordered a probe into the incident.

"We have asked Patna zonal IG to inquire into the matter. Based on his findings, the state police headquarters would initiate further action," Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) S K Singhal told PTI today.

The fact that rodents were making merry in the dungeons came to light following media reports that they had overrun the ''Malkhana'' (store) of the police stations and had guzzled down a large amount of the more than 9 lakh litres of alcohbol seized by the police.

Media reports said that in the last 13 months, a whopping 9.15 lakh litres of alcohol, domestic as well Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), have been seized in Bihar following the ban.

It emerged at the recent crime meeting of the state police that while a major portion of the seized liquor got destroyed on way to police stations, an equally large amount was consumed by rodents in the store of the police stations.

Meanwhile, the police arrested President of Bihar Police Men's Association on charge of consuming liquor.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj said that a police team arrested Police Association President Nirmal Singh and a member of the Association Shamsher Singh today from police line for consuming liquor.

The two were produced in the court of Judge of Special Excise Court Ravindra Nath Tripathi and have been remanded in judicial custody till May 18.

The two have been taken to Beur jail under new Excise Act 2016 on the basis of the court order.

The Nitish Kumar government clamped total prohibition in Bihar since April last year. In order to enforce the liquor ban, a special drive has been launched by the police as well Excise department across the state.