PATNA: Prohibition in Bihar on Wednesday brought more embarrassment to the state’s Nitish Kumar-led alliance government as India-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth about Rs 1.5 crore was seized at a brick kiln owned by a local politician close to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose party is the main ally in the state government.
Over 200 cartons of IMFL that police and excise officials suspect had been smuggled from Haryana was seized in a truck parked at the brick kiln owned by Anuj Rai at Chandi village in Vaishali district. Rai, a former zilla parishad member, wields considerable influence in the area due to his close ties with the RJD chief, said sources.
“The IMFL cartons were kept hidden under soil and grass loaded in the truck. An employee of the brick kiln has been arrested and two cars and a bike have been seized,” said Subodh Kumar Mishra, SHO of Sadar police station in Hajipur, the headquarters town of Vaishali district.
While both the ruling JD(U) and RJD declined to comment on this seizure a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed a workshop of JD(U) on prohibition, the Opposition BJP targeted the alliance government. “The CM said at this workshop that prohibition enforced by his government in the state has been a historic success. Such seizures show the secret of this success. In the name of prohibition, leaders of the ruling parties and police officials are making a fast buck,” said senior BJP leader Sanjay Tiger.
In the past three days, police and excise department officials seized huge quantities of liquor smuggled into Bihar in potato-laden trucks. In one of these seizures in Chapra, 250 cartons of IMFL were seized from a truck that reached a potato godown in the town. The liquor cartons were kept under sacks of potato. Police sources said the liquor was brought from Punjab.
CM Nitish Kumar recently asked police and excise department officials to crack down on liquor smugglers and ensure that liquor does not enter into Bihar from other states.