Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, January 21
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had introduced total liquor prohibition in the state in April 2016, faced a reality when a top official in the prohibition department revealed the uninterrupted supply of spirits with the connivance of the excise officials.
The Superintendent of Police (Prohibition) had recommended investigations into the assets of all excise officials right from constable to superintendents alleging their involvement in the sale of illicit liquor contesting the complete ban imposed in the state.
The letter written to all district Superintendents of Police including railways by the then SP (Prohibition), Rakesh Kumar Sinha on January 6 had to be withdrawn after two weeks following protests from the excise officials who were dubbed as involved in illicit liquor trade.
Government also ordered immediate transfer of the whistle-blower SP to a special branch in police headquarters. The deputy SP who had issued the letter on behalf of SP has been served with a show cause notice too.
The letter sent to the SPs on January 6 quoted a reference from the DG of police sent on December 11 last year and said investigations into the movable and immovable assets of all officers and employees in Excise and prohibition department should be investigated. Bihar government had introduced total prohibition through a legislation and there is total ban on sale and purchase of liquor, still in all police stations of the state, illicit trade of liquor was rampant, according to the letter of the SP.
SP in his letter also alleged by offering bribes (Chadava) to the inspectors, sub-inspectors and constables, liquor was being sold. He also alleged local elected representatives were also involved in the illicit liquor trade. Prohibition laws of the state government have become subject of mockery”, SP said in his letter.
The letter also said once the investigations to the assets of the excise and police officers at police station level was conducted, the huge quantum of disproportionate money amassed from liquor trade would be disclosed. He also suggested the mobile locations and detailed call records of their mobiles should be investigated. The mobile calls made by their family members should also be investigated to establish links with the liquor mafia, SP said.
He had asked the SPs to send the investigation reports to Police headquarters within a week.
The development had endorsed the allegations made by the leader of opposition, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav that prohibition had failed in Bihar.
Till last year,1.67 lakh people were arrested on charges of violating the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act,2016 and more than 30 lakh litres of liquor was seized. In Patna High Court, over two lakh cases were pending since 2016. Most of them related to bail petitions filed by the offenders. The entire team of 27 policemen posted in a police station kin Saran district was arrested and dismissed for violation of prohibition laws. The High Court ordered their reinstatement last week.
