Bihar DGP SK Singhal has said that recovery of liquor by the central team in any area will lead to the suspension of the concerned Station House Officer (SHO) with immediate effect. The top cop said that strict departmental action will be initiated against those SHOs who have failed to enforce the prohibition in their respective areas and they will not be given posting as a station in-charge for the next ten years. The DGP was addressing a press conference after attending a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on issues related to the liquor ban in the state.
DGP Singhal also said, “A decision has also been taken to identify those police stations in the state where no action was taken or recoveries were made under the prohibition law in the last two-three years.” He said that the police department will strengthen its intelligence machinery.
“We have to gear up our intelligence machinery. Our intelligence machinery is also at the level of police headquarters as well as district levels. We have to generate actionable intelligence from them and have to conduct continuous raids. We will take the strictest action against those trying to violate the alcohol ban or trying to sell alcohol,” said the DGP.
He said that all SHOs have been instructed to strengthen the intelligence gathering mechanism in their respective areas to nab those who indulge in manufacturing or supplying illicit liquor.
During the meeting, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also asked officials to take stern action against those policemen and excise department staffers found to have violated the prohibition themselves.
The meeting was convened after 47 people died recently due to the consumption of spurious liquor in the state. Forty seven people across the state died after allegedly consuming illicit liquor since Diwali. The Nitish Kumar government had on April 5, 2016, banned the manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, sale and consumption of liquor in the state.
The above news was originally posted on www.financialexpress.com
