PATNA: An excise constable was accidentally killed by a bullet fired by a fellow Home Guard jawan during a chase involving suspected liquor smugglers in Bihar’s Nalanda district, a detailed investigation by the state police has revealed, debunking the team’s initial claim that smugglers had opened fire on the police team.
The team allegedly fabricated the account of an attack to conceal the circumstances of the shooting, which claimed the life of state excise department constable Ajit. Excise Superintendent Sanjay Kumar Choudhary said on Friday that neither senior district officials nor the local police station had been informed about the raid.
A woman sub-inspector, Pushpa Kumari, who was leading the team, and three other police personnel have been detained for interrogation. An FIR is being registered against the Home Guard personnel who fired the shot and other members of the team, officials said.
According to the preliminary investigation, the team was pursuing a speeding vehicle suspected of carrying illicit liquor when a Home Guard personnel fired from his .303 rifle in an attempt to stop it. The bullet missed the suspected smugglers’ vehicle and struck another excise department vehicle travelling ahead, killing constable Ajit on the spot.
The team comprised two constables from the Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB) at Patna headquarters, a woman sub-inspector posted in Nalanda, three local Home Guard personnel and two personnel from outside the district. They were travelling in two vehicles. The operation was allegedly conducted without an authorised officer, officials said.
The incident occurred at around 10 pm on Thursday. Despite Ajit sustaining a gunshot injury, the team allegedly concealed the actual circumstances and claimed that liquor smugglers had fired at them. Ajit was initially taken to VIMS, Pawapuri, and later referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in view of his critical condition.
The team informed the local police station about the incident only after crossing the Nalanda district boundary with the injured constable, allegedly claiming that smugglers had shot him.
The department has taken a strict view of the alleged procedural violations, including firing at a moving vehicle and failing to inform senior officers about the operation.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the liquor consignment and the smuggling network. According to sources, a police team has been sent to Jharkhand to identify and apprehend those linked to the vehicle transporting the liquor into Bihar and the Scorpio allegedly used as a pilot vehicle.
Senior officials said the investigation would also determine who authorised the raid despite the absence of permission and prior intimation to senior officers.