Hooch: Senior excise sleuths suspended

Jitendra K Shrivastava

Patna, October 30

Taking stern action against the excise department, the Bihar Government on Monday placed two senior excise sleuths under suspension following the Rohtas hooch tragedy in which five persons had died after consuming spurious liquor last week.

“Assistant commissioner Kishor Kumar and inspector Raj Kishor Prasad Singh of the Excise Department were placed under suspension in connection with five hooch deaths. Action was taken against them as they were found to be the guilty of dereliction of duty. Further, departmental proceedings would now be initiated against them as the probe of hooch tragedy is still on,” said Rohtas District Magistrate Animesh Kumar Parasar.

Raids were still on to curb on illegal liquor trade and manufacturing, he said.

In a major crackdown, 21 persons were arrested and 17 liquor manufacturing units destroyed in Rohtas and Arwal districts, bordering to Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The police department has already placed nine cops under suspension.