NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Saturday said they have arrested the most wanted man who is a prime accused in the Bihar spurious liquor tragedy case that claimed the lives of around 80 people in the alcohol-prohibited state. The accused, identified as Ram Babu Mahto, a resident of district Saran, Bihar, was nabbed by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police from the Dwarka area of the city.
The hooch tragedy, which hogged the national limelight, was reported from the Saran district of Bihar in mid-December. Notably, the Bihar government had imposed a ban on the sale of liquor in April 2016. Violating the prohibition attracts imprisonment ranging from five to ten years.
Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said information was received and developed by the Inter-State Cell, Crime Branch, Chankyapuri, Delhi that one Ram Babu Mahto, wanted in the cases related to spurious liquor tragedy in Bihar, may be hiding somewhere in the national capital. “Bihar Police was contacted and it was established that accused Ram Babu Mahto is one of the most wanted. He was one of the key players in the entire episode where several people lost their lives,” the Special CP said. When Bihar Police were searching for him, he shifted his locations and absconded from Bihar.
Subsequently, a police team was constituted which began collecting specific inputs and traced the accused’s location to Dwarka. A raid was conducted and accused Mahto was arrested. During the interrogation, Mahto told the police that owing to the liquor prohibition in the state of Bihar, he sensed an opportunity to make quick and easy money and got indulged in manufacturing and selling spurious liquor.
The official further said that as per the information available so far, accused Mahto was found involved in several cases of illicit liquor. “Appropriate legal action is being taken and information about the arrest of the accused has been shared with Bihar Police for further action,” the senior official added.
‘Accused was caught in Dwarka area’
Ram Babu Mahto was one of the key players in the entire episode where several people lost their lives, When Bihar Police were searching for him, he shifted his locations. He was arrested in Dwarka and confessed that owing to the liquor prohibition in Bihar, he wanted to make quick money and indulged in manufacturing and selling spurious liquor.