This picture exposes the liquor ban.
– Photo : Amar Ujala
Expansion
There is a liquor ban in Bihar for eight years. In such a situation, what is real, what is fake and what is poisonous… all kinds of news have come out. News of deaths due to alcohol also keep coming, but this business does not stop. The police’s reputation does not seem to be high even in that area, where the station head was shot in an encounter with liquor smugglers five years ago. When the team of ‘Amar Ujala’ reached a similar place in Khagaria, the smugglers claimed that they manage everyone from the chowkidar to the station in-charge. On July 14, after this claim, when the station in-charge was talked to, he requested that if the news is published, everyone will run away. Wait, we will raid. But, on July 17, even when there was a case of poisonous liquor in Samastipur, the police did not wake up. In such a situation, now without giving time, we are opening the layers of the system.
Ground Zero: Bhadas Panchayat and Sheikhpura Village
The morale of liquor smugglers in Bihar’s Khagaria district is so high that they talk about managing everyone from the Chowkidar to the police station in-charge. On Sunday, when ‘Amar Ujala’ knocked on the door of these liquor smugglers with a hidden camera, the business of openly selling liquor and making people drink was seen. Not only this, when asked, these liquor smugglers told that they send money to the Chowkidar and the police station in-charge. This is the reason why raids are not conducted. This business of country liquor is going on at a short distance from the Khagaria district headquarters. People see all this openly in Bhadas Dakshini Panchayat and Sheikhpura village of Mufassil police station area of Khagaria district. Some also complain. But, nothing ever happens. In the colony behind Bhadas Ram temple, country liquor is being openly provided to the people. At the same time, near Lakhan Sthan of Sheikhpura village, liquor traders are running the entire business without any worry. Smugglers from both these places told that they manage everyone from the Chowkidar to the police station in-charge. After this, their business can run smoothly.
Five years ago the station head was shot
At the place where the country liquor business is going on in Bhadas Dakshin Panchayat, there was an encounter between the police and such smugglers 5 years ago. In that encounter, the then police station in-charge Ashish Kumar was shot by the smugglers. Local people say that this liquor business has been flourishing in Bhadas for a long time. The police comes, but probably after informing the liquor smugglers in advance.
The police station chief said- do not run the news
After collecting this video evidence on the ground on Sunday, when Khagaria’s Mufassil police station chief Rajiv Ranjan was contacted, he requested – “Do not broadcast the news. There was no information about selling liquor. If the news gets out, those people will run away. We will raid and arrest them.” He did not say anything about taking money from the smugglers, but no raid was conducted there until three full days passed. Now even after the case of death due to poisonous liquor has come to light in Samastipur, there is no information of arrest from these areas of Khagaria.
(Input : Abhijeet Sinha @ Khagaria)