Patna : In defiance of Bihar’s strict liquor ban, five people, including a senior clerk from the education department, have been arrested during a raid on a liquor party at a prominent hotel in Banka city. The arrests took place late on Tuesday night after the police and excise department acted on a tip-off.
Raid at Banka hotel uncovers liquor party
A team led by Sub-inspector Deepak Mahato of the Excise Department raided room number 207 of the hotel, where the group was found consuming alcohol. According to police sources, all five individuals were intoxicated at the time of the raid and were immediately taken into custody.
Senior clerk among those detained
Among those arrested was Pankaj Kumar, a senior clerk in the Planning and Accounting section of the Education Department. The others detained were Jagdish Tiwari, a resident of Jagdishpur Baijani, Bhagalpur, and Dilip Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, and Saurabh Kumar, all from Vishwabharchak, Amarpur.
Legal action and penalties imposed
While most of the individuals were released after paying fines, one of the arrested, Saurabh Kumar, a vendor, has been sent to jail on charges of consuming alcohol. Notably, this is the second time Saurabh Kumar has been apprehended for violating the prohibition law.
Crackdown continues despite prohibition law
Despite the prohibition law in Bihar, the illegal consumption and smuggling of alcohol persist. Authorities, however, continue to conduct regular raids in an effort to curb the practice. District Education Officer Kundan Kumar has also issued a statement regarding the incident, while Sub-inspector Deepak Mahato confirmed the details of the raid, saying, “On the basis of secret information, the police raided and all have been arrested from the hotel in an inebriated condition.”
