'Lesser' criminals

Senior police officer in Bihar claims that the anti-liquor laws had 'reformed' hardcore criminals in the state

A senior police officer in Bihar claimed that the anti-liquor laws had “reformed” hardcore criminals in the state. “Some criminals who were earlier engaged in murder, kidnapping and burglaries have now become bootleggers,” he said. Bootlegging was not considered a crime by many, he said. Some hardened criminals, who were not into bootlegging, however, targeted the house of a close relative of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) state unit chief Ramchandra Purbey. This offered the Opposition opportunity to take potshots at the government. “They can’t even protect their close relatives, how can they be expected to protect the common man,” asked an Opposition leader about the government. Another, recalling the alleged “jungle raj” during the tenures of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and wife Rabri Devi as chief ministers, said: “When (Purbey) was a minister, his wife’s chain was snatched. What will he do now?”