Villagers in Dumka Demand Total Alcohol Ban After Violent Incident Over Alcohol Sale

Dumka: Days after a woman allegedly chopped off the tongue of a man at Lata Kandar village in Dumka district’s Shikaripari block during a fight over alcohol, the villagers have now made it a point that they would not allow the sale of alcohol in their area.On Saturday, over 100 villagers, mostly women from Lata Kandar, thronged the local police station, demanding a complete ban on the illegal production and sale of alcohol in their village.Earlier, on March 19, the villagers had resolved to enforce a complete ban on alcohol in Lata Kandar, but a few among them continued to defy it.Now, they have submitted an application to the officer-in-charge of the Shikaripara police station, Amit Lakra, mentioning their resolution and said that they sought the support of the local police to deal with the violators.The villagers also aired their concern that individuals, in an inebriated condition, often become uncontrollable and indulge in fights, thereby causing disturbance to the social harmony.“While the majority of villagers have been following the self-imposed alcohol ban, a woman called Neelamuni Mohlin, wife of Neemchand Mohlin, continues to openly prepare and sell alcohol, worsening the situation,” the villagers mentioned in the application, demanding strict action against her.The police officer said, “The woman in question will initially be persuaded to desist from her illegal activities of brewing and selling alcohol. If she refuses, then we will take legal recourse against her.”Four days ago, on September 3, another woman, who used to sell ‘Hadia’ (locally brewed liquor), cut off a man’s tongue, following a quarrel between them. The woman is identified as Kalawati Murmu.After a complaint by the victim’s family, the accused woman was sent to jail.