In Bihar, undertrial in police jeep tips off SP, S-I, 3 other cops arrested with liquor

This is the fourth such incident in Bihar’s Kaimur within a year when police personnel were found consuming or transporting liquor.

A police sub-inspector and three other policemen have been arrested and sent to jail for smuggling liquor following a tip-off from the rioting accused they were bringing from Varanasi.

A police sub-inspector and three other policemen have been arrested and sent to jail for smuggling liquor following a tip-off from the rioting accused they were bringing from Varanasi. (HT Photo)

The four policemen have been identified as sub-inspector Om Prakash Singh of Kudra police station, police driver Chandan Kumar and chowkidars Thakur Prasad and Murari Yadav.

The incident occurred on Friday evening in Kaimur when a team led by SI Om Prakash Singh was bringing two rioting accused from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

As the police vehicle reached Tengana (on the outskirts of Varanasi), the SI gave ₹1,100 to driver Chandan Kumar and asked him to bring four bottles from the liquor store.

Liquor was brought and kept in the vehicle.

In the meantime, one of the arrested accused, Kamta Paswan, sent a WhatsApp message to Kaimur’s superintendent of police Dilnawaz Ahmad, regarding purchase and transportation of liquor by the police team.

Ahmad sent a police team led by Raghunath Singh, sub-divisional police officer of Mohania, who intercepted the vehicle and recovered the liquor at integrated check post near Mohania.

All four policemen were arrested and were produced in court on Saturday and sent to jail.

“There is zero tolerance for offences related to consumption and transportation of liquor,” SP Ahmad said.

This is the fourth such incident in the district within a year when police personnel were found consuming or transporting liquor.

Kudra police station has gained notoriety in the matter. One SHO, one S-I, a driver and three chowkidars posted with this police station have been arrested in the offence.

Liquor is banned in Bihar since 2016.

On August 8 this year, chowkidar Vinod Kumar Singh was arrested for planting liquor to frame a murder witness for checking him from deposing in the court.

On October 3 last year, Kudra SHO Nagendra Paswan was arrested while consuming liquor at police station premises. He was later dismissed by the department.