Seized liquor missing, cops blame it on rats

Patna: Rodents in dry Bihar have become Bacchus lovers. Or so said certain SHOs when asked about about the missing stocks of seized liquor kept in the ‘maalkhana’ of their police stations.
Sources said the SHOs told senior officers at the district’s monthly crime meeting chaired by SSP Manu Maharaaj on Tuesday evening that rats had consumed the liquor after nibbling the sealed bottle caps.Many bottles were broken due to carelessness, they said.
Since prohibition in the state from April 5 last year, at least 5.11 lakh litres of Indian-made foreign liquor, 3.01 lakh litres of country liquor and 12,000 litres of beer have been seized from different parts of the state. A major chunk of it was seized by police and kept in the ‘maalkhana’ of the police station concerned.
Patna IG Nayyar Hasnain Khan told TOI on Wednesday he had come to know from different sources about the rats consuming the liquor kept as exhibits in the ‘maalkhanas’. “I will ask for details from the SSP,” the IG said.
Asked if lower-rung police officers were clandestinely taking out the ‘maalkhana’ exhibits and blaming rats, the IG said strict action would be taken against anyone found involved in selling or consuming the ‘maalkhana’ liquor.
A few months back, it may be recalled, all the police personnel of the Town police station in Gopalganj and the Beur police station in Patna were transferred on the charge of connivance with liquor smugglers.