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Liquor worth Rs 40 lakh seized in Gopalganj

PATNA: Excise department officials seized at least 400 cartons of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 40 lakh on Saturday and arrested a man from Gopalganj . This is the second big seizure of illicit liquor in the district within 24 hours.

Acting on a tip off, a team of excise department officials intercepted a truck near Balthara checkpost under the Kuchaykot police station area and seized 400 cartons of liquor.

The truck was carrying motor parts from Noida.

According to Gopalganj district excise superintendent Rakesh Kumar, the liquor cartons were supposed to be delivered to a supplier in Bihar.

“We are trying to trace the supplier in question, who was supposed to receive the consignment,” Kumar told this newspaper over phone.

On Thursday night, the officials had confiscated a truck, bearing the registration number of Haryana, near the Balthara checkpost and recovered 300 cartons of liquor worth Rs 30 lakh. The consignment was to be delivered to one Manish Kumar, an alleged liquor supplier of Vaishali.

“We are keeping a close watch on the vehicles crossing the Balthara checkpost to enter Bihar from Uttar Pradesh,” the district excise officer said.

Sub-inspector Ashok Kumar Yadav and chowkidar Munna Kumar were arrested on Thursday and sent to jail for allegedly being involved in smuggling of liquor. The two were among the six people against whom an FIR was lodged with the Kuchaykot police station after a raid at the ‘maalkhana’ of the police station on Sunday.

The FIR was lodged on the statement of sub-divisional police officer of Gopalganj sadar, Naresh Paswan. While the SHO of Kuchaykot police station Ritesh Kumar Singh was put under suspension, sub-inspector Ashok Kumar Yadav, chowkidar Munna Singh, driver Ashish Singh and two other residents were named as accused in the FIR.

Suspended SHO Ritesh is reported to be absconding. He was put under suspension on Wednesday when a video showing a container loading liquor from the ‘maalkhana’ of the police station went viral on social media.

Gopalganj SDPO Naresh Paswan said, “Ritesh is not in touch with the police officials ever since a raid was conducted on the ‘maalkhana’ by a team of prohibition cell.”

Ritesh, authoritative sources said, escaped from the police station on the pretext of fetching the keys of the ‘maalkhana’ before the search started. “There is a huge difference in the records of the seizure of liquor and the present stock in the ‘maalkhana’,” a senior official said.

Sadar SDPO Naresh Paswan said, “Raids are underway to arrest other accused in the case. Two of the six named accused have already been arrested and sent to jail. Further investigation is on.”

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