The Bihar Police Association (BPA) has protested against suspension of 11 station house officers (SHOs) for their failure to enforce the state-wide liquor ban in their areas of juridiction.BPA president Mirtunjay Kumar Singh has demanded that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar intervene in the matter.A day after Bihar police headquarters suspended 11 SHOs for their failure to enforce a liquor prohibition, BPA has described the suspension of SHOs as an act that will demoralise police officials who have been working hard to implement the liquor ban in the state. "The state government should reinstate all the suspended SHOs immediately," he said.Singh has also threatened to intensify their protest against the action on the SHOs. "We have called a meeting of the BPA on August 28 in which all the district presidents and others will attend to decide the future course," he said. Taking tough action against police officials for violation of a total liquor ban in the state, the government has sent a strong message.Additional Director General of police headquarter Sunil Kumar said that 11 SHOs were suspended after it was found that they failed to check and control manufacture of banned liquor in their jurisdiction.
"Despite the liquor ban in place for the last four months, these SHOs did not take any step to crack down on manufacture of illicit country made liquor in their areas." According to him, police station officer incharge of Phulwarisharief, Masaurhi (Patna district), Makhdumpur(Jehanabad district), Chand(Kaimur district), Dehri (Rohtas district), Maranga, Rupauli (Purnea district), Sultanganj (Bhagalpur district) and Motihari Mufassil, Ranisaidpur, Bairgania (Sitamarhi district) were suspended. "Police station officers incharge were suspended for failure to implement a total liquor ban in their respective jurisdiction," Kumar said.Kumar said the suspended SHOs would not be given any posting as police station in charge for next 10 years.Besides, six trainee police constables were also suspended in Banka district for offences related to violation of the prohibition law.Kumar said 4,707 people were arrested during last four months and 3,719 FIRs lodged in connection with the liquor ban. In fact, none other than Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said that police officials will be held responsible for the sale and manufacture of liquor in their areas and action will be taken against them. Police officials said that since the total liquor ban was imposed, 96,878.66 litres of country made liquor, 52,530.446 litres of IMFL and 13,153 litres of spirit have been recovered in the state.