Twitter
Advertisement

Bihar government considering amending prohibition law by reducing punishment: Report

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar confirmed that there would be an amendment, but did not disclose details

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

The Bihar government may consider tweaking its prohibition law to address concerns that government officials are misusing its provisions, NDTV reported, quoting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Kumar acknowledged that there had been complaints of misuse of the prohibition law and allegations of involvement of those in the government machinery. "This problem too would be solved after a review being carried out," he said.

However, there has been no elaboration on the changes in the law although sources believe that one of the changes that will be made is making the offence bailable, unless the accused is a serial offender.

  In April this year, a BJP MP's son and his friend were arrested for consuming alcohol and were remanded in judicial custody.

Under the spell of a stringent anti-liquor law for over last two years, Bihar has been declared a dry state with stringent punishment for the breach of anti-liquor law.BJP parliamentarian Manjhi, however, accused the police of falsely implicating his son in the liquor case.

Reports say that as Bihar completed two years of ban on country liquor on April 5 last, over 1.15 lakh people have been arrested for violating the liquor ban. Over 23 lakh litres of IMFL (Indian made Foreign liquor) and country liquor has so far been seized.

The ban and the penalty has drawn widespread criticism from the opposition and civil rights groups, who have contended that most people arrested under this law were among Bihar's poorest, those who were not able to bribe their way out of the police case.

 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement