Beur police station staff removed over lax liquor ban imposition

BIHAR

AUTHORITIESONFRIDAYREMOVED entire staff of Patna’s Beur police station — 30 policemen including the station house officer (SHO) — for failing to curb liquor consumption, trade and smuggling since prohibition was enforced in Bihar last year. This is the first such instance under normal circumstances.earlier,allstafferswereremoved from a police station after Gopalganjhoochtragedyclaimed 16 lives in August.

“We had to take such action after Beur police station reported frequent seizures of liquor. Rather than holding one person responsible, we put collective responsibility and removed entire staff for negligence of duty,” Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Mahraj told The Indian Express. Beur police station has reported over two dozen seizures since the liquor ban.

Sources said that the station had “allowed let go of a huge consignment of liquor” recently. A probe into the allegations found complicity of the entire station.

There have been cases of liquor seizures from across the state. But Beur station was singled out for action following recurrent seizures in last few months and several complaints against it.

Earlier, 11 SHOS were removed because of recurrent liquor seizures. The police headquarters had got SHOS of all 850 plus stations to give affidavits owning responsibility in case of failure to check liquor trade and consumption. The government had first decided not to give field posting to suspended SHOS but later backtrack because of pressure from police associations.

Mahraj said that they have to keep re-calibrating their strategies to outwit bootleggers. “We have of late introduced biker police to reach narrow lanes and areas where it is difficult to reach. We have also instructed them to keep an eye on luxury vehicles, which may often get unchecked. About 50 policemen in plainclothes are on the job.’’

A police officer added that Beur case would serve as an example and work as a warning signal to other stations not doing their work properly.

The government recently organised a human chain supporting prohibition.