A police sub-inspector (SI) and a man allegedly involved in smuggling of liquor were killed and a village “chowkidar” sustained injuries in a gunfight in a village in the Majorganj police station limits in Sitamarhi district of north Bihar on Wednesday. Two accused are absconding.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team went to Kuari-Madan village to arrest Ranjay Kumar Singh, the alleged smuggler and a fugitive in an old case.
“As soon as the team led by SI Dinesh Ram, along with watchman Lalbabu Paswan, reached the house of the fugitive, criminals opened fire. In the exchange of fire that followed, Mr. Ram and Mr. Paswan were injured. The SI died on the way to hospital, while the watchman sustained injuries in the hand,” district police official P.N. Sahu.
Singh was killed in the gun battle, he added.
The police, led by Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Singh, have launched a search for the two absconding men.
“The killed criminal was wanted in an old case and was also involved in liquor smuggling. We will arrest the two absconding criminals soon,” Additional Director-General of Police (Law & Order) Amit Kumar said.
Sitamarhi shares its border with Nepal and smugglers have been bringing in liquor from there to Bihar, where consumption and trade of liquor have been banned since April 2016. However, trade of illegal liquor is said to be rampant with the involvement of criminals and smugglers from States such as Punjab, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Nepal.
“Liquor smuggling in Bihar today has become the most lucrative and proliferating business for criminals and smugglers. Even policemen are involved in this. Several of them have been put under suspension”, said a retired senior police official of the State, requesting anonymity.
Of late, liquor smugglers have attacked policemen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Vaishali and Begusarai districts during searches on their hideouts.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said policemen found drunk or involved in liquor business must be dismissed as they had taken a pledge not to take liquor in any form or other.
Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said, “There is home delivery of liquor in the State today. It’s like running a parallel economy.”
