Bihar: Local BJP Leader Accused of Running Liquor Supply After Police Raid, Case Filed

Patna: In the 'dry Bihar', a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader allegedly ran an illicit liquor supply business in Patna. The police officials revealed this after 16 bottles of foreign-made liquor were seized from his godown, where he allegedly stocked branded cold drinks.

The involvement of a BJP leader in the illicit liquor trade came to light on Thursday after a police raid the previous night. Earlier this week, two BJP MLAs had questioned the total liquor prohibition in the state, describing the liquor prohibition as a failure and demanding an end to it.

According to police, the BJP leader, the main accused, managed to escape taking advantage of darkness on Wednesday night when his godown was raided. Police have arrested seven staff members, including the manager, who were drinking liquor at the godown.

Digha police station in-charge Rajesh Kumar said he raided the godown of the BJP leader Nilesh Mukhiya on a tip-off that a liquor party was going there.

"This was part of an ongoing crackdown against illicit liquor. A case was lodged against Mukhiya as well."

Mukhiya is an influential BJP leader in the locality. His wife is a ward member who unsuccessfully contested the election for deputy mayor of Patna. The BJP had supported her candidature.

Police said the investigation into the case so far made it clear that Mukhiya was running a home delivery of liquor in the garb of a cold drinks business.

"Mukhiya was involved in the supply of illicit liquor trade. The foreign-made liquors from other states were brought and stocked in his godown, and he used to home-deliver liquor to high profile people."

Earlier this month, a BJP leader was arrested for allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Jamui district.

BJP MLAs Criticise Liquor Ban

After opposition Mahagathbandhan leaders criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the failure of liquor prohibition, BJP MLA Kundan Singh blamed the liquor ban for increasing crime cases in the state.

"Entire police force is busy to enforce liquor ban, and its main focus is to keep a close watch on the liquor operations. Serious crimes like murder, kidnapping, extortion, rape, loot, robbery, theft and other cases are increasing. Bihar police are occupied with liquor ban and ignored the crimes," Singh said.

Singh, an MLA from the Begusarai district, expressed his concern that the school-going children are smuggling liquor in the bags in lieu of some easy money by the liquor mafia due to the liquor ban. He held that it is a move to play with the next generation.

"These children are playing in the hands of the powerful liquor mafia without knowing that their future would be ruined."

Singh also raised the issue of police highhandedness in operations against liquor consumption. Recently a police team had forcibly entered a bride's room without women police officers in Patna during raids at wedding venues to recover liquor.

He said it was reported how the powerful liquor mafias are contesting in the ongoing Panchayat elections in the state and openly distributing liquor to woo local villagers. This way, liquor mafias are investing profit from the illicit liquor trade to win elections and capture rural bodies.

Earlier this week, another BJP MLA, Hari Bhushan Singh, said the liquor ban has failed and demanded an end to the liquor prohibition law in the state. He said liquor mafias are minting money from the flourishing liquor trade, and the state is losing significant revenue.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded that Nitish Kumar roll back the liquor prohibition law because of failure to implement it.

Last week Opposition Mahagathbandhan questioned the seriousness of Nitish Kumar to act against the powerful liquor mafia in the dry state. Contrary to the expectation that a concrete action plan will be announced for the crackdown against the liquor mafia by Kumar at a much-hyped review meeting on the liquor ban on November 16, it ended like a usual official meeting.

After the Opposition leaders, including the Left parties, criticised and targeted Kumar over reports of more than 45 deaths in hooch incidents last week across the state, he had called a meeting to review the lapses in the enforcement of the liquor ban. It was the first time that dozens of people died within a week after consuming illicit liquor since a total prohibition was imposed in 2016.

Ahead of the review meeting, BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal questioned how the liquor mafia is ruling the roost from top to bottom in the flourishing illicit liquor trade in each state district. Jaiswal further said the total prohibition on alcohol would not be successful unless strict action is taken against the mafia. He also called out the police's collusion with the mafia that facilitated the illicit liquor trade.

During the seven-hour-long review meeting, Kumar reiterated that he would not tolerate negligence in enforcing prohibition in the state, and strict action would be taken against the government employees involved in the liquor trade. Kumar also directed authorities to identify liquor smuggling routes and seal the border.

Noticeably, in the past, Kumar has repeatedly reiterated stringent action against bootleggers and directed the state's top police officers to identify persons engaged in selling and consuming liquor.

In mid-November, at least six people died after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Muzaffarpur district- the fourth district in a week where people have died in similar incidents. As many as 20 people have died in Gopalganj, 17 in West Champaran and six in Samastipur, with an overall toll of 45.

These incidents have exposed the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's failure to check and control the illicit liquor trade. According to reports, illegal liquor has claimed 95 lives since January 2021. Despite Kumar declaring Bihar a dry state in 2016, country-made and foreign liquor continue to be readily available.