Bihar: Special police unit for execution of liquor ban, crackdown on violations

With a view to improving the enforcement of total alcohol prohibition in Bihar, the state government has approved the creation of the post of Inspector General of Police (Prohibition), who will head a special unit to monitor the implementation and crackdown on liquor law violations in the state.

The decision was taken at a meeting of a cabinet minister of the state, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday evening.

Bihar had imposed a total ban on sale and consumption of liquor in the state on April 5, 2016. However, seizures of a huge amount of smuggled liquor make it to the headlines everyday. To keep a tab on these, the Bihar Police proposed the formation of a special unit, which would exclusively deal with these cases.

The IG (Prohibition) will work with crime investigation department (CID) and an SP-rank officer of the department will be a part of his team.

“The SP (OSD) will now be SP (Prohibition) and 68 other police department officials, of various ranks, will also be a part of the team,” an official said. According to sources, the unit will have a separate control room and will be free to take over cases related to prohibition, if it deems it fit for a probe.

Nitish Kumar, who has been championing the agenda of prohibition, was irked at the recent hooch tragedies, which claimed at least six lives and had asked the cops to step up their action against liquor mafias in the state.