Police raid on liquor and businessmen’s hideouts.
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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In a major breakthrough, the Bihar Police on Friday arrested five people, including the main accused, in connection with the Saran spurious liquor case. A senior officer gave this information. Saran Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar said that a special investigation team (SIT) formed by the state police nabbed a homeopathy compounder, who was allegedly the mastermind of the hooch scandal. 38 people had lost their lives in this spurious liquor incident.
First nine people were arrested
SP Kumar said the police seized a vehicle, which was used to bring chemicals from Uttar Pradesh and supply liquor to Masrakh in and around Saran. Empty bottles containing chemicals used to make spurious liquor were also recovered. The SIT had earlier arrested nine people in this case.
Arrested people accepted the charge during interrogation
He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the mastermind (prime accused) with the help of his accomplices used to make spurious liquor by mixing homeopathy medicine and sugar. They (the accused) used to supply illicit liquor through their vendors or associates in many areas of Saran district. The arrested persons admitted during interrogation that they used to supply spurious liquor made of homeopathy medicines in Saran district and one of the accused also consumed the same liquor, but survived after treatment, the police officer said.
ADGP said – the spirit kept in the police station is not responsible for the liquor case
The SP said that the police have recovered a large number of empty bottles of chemicals used in making spurious liquor from Doela area of Saran. The investigation is on. Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar, while talking to reporters in Patna, denied the allegation that ‘spirit’ kept at a police station in Saran district was responsible for the spurious liquor incident.
He said that on the basis of preliminary investigation, it appears that none of the spirit kept inside a police station in Saran was used to make spurious liquor. It is suspected that some other chemical may have been used in the manufacture of the wine. We are waiting for the viscera reports of all the deceased.
He said that from this it would be known what kind of chemical was used in making spurious liquor. Let the probe be completed only then we will be able to comment on anything specific, he said. Gangwar said strict action would be taken against those found guilty. Action has already been taken against the station house officer (SHO) of Mashrakh police station in Saran and other officials. Significantly, in 2016, the sale and consumption of liquor was banned in Bihar.
