Dozens of local residents raided a mini-truck after the vehicle, loaded with alcohol, crashed into the road divider on Friday, setting off a scramble among locals who made off with liquor bottles.
Consumption, transportation, and sale of alcohol is banned across Bihar under its 2016 prohibition law. The vehicle’s driver and the cleaner fled the spot. It is not clear how everyone got to know that the vehicle was carrying liquor. It is being speculated the vehicle was carrying the consignment from Assam or West Bengal or Assam and was headed to Bihar districts through Seemanchal.
Police said the incident involving an Assam registered took place near Kharhat Toll Plaza. “All those involved in the loot will be arrested,” declared Kumar. He said the police was also searching for the vehicle’s driver who fled after the accident. Raniganj police said they had seized the vehicle and were trying to track the vehicle owner and the network.
But as news of the cargo spread, dozens of people rushed to the spot. The video clip and photos of the public conducting their own raid caught attention of the district police headquarters, which rushed more police officers to the spot. But by the time the police reached, there wasn’t much left to guard.
Many people including women and children picked individual bottles; some went for cartons, according to a video clip that emerged on social media. “It was a usual accident at first site but as soon as the locals came to know about the liquor, they gathered in huge numbers and the looting of the liquor started,” a police officer said. Sadar sub divisional police officer (SDPO) Sushil Kumar said the police had started scrutinising CCTV footage and social media video clips to identify those who picked up the bottles.
