Patna: Samastipur superintendent of police Deepak Ranjan faces disciplinary action for his alleged laxity in implementing the provisions of Bihar Excise and Prohibition Act 2016 strictly in the district, which of late has become a transit point of liquor smuggling in north Bihar.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed dismay over Ranjan's decision to reinstate a sub-inspector of police at Singhiya police station in Samastipur district as its station house officer (SHO) even after serious allegations levelled against the officer concerned.

Neeraj Kumar, a 2009-batch sub-inspector of police, serves as the SHO of Singhiya police station under Rosera sub-division in Samastipur district, around 100km northeast of Patna. Neeraj has been accused of acting in collusion with liquor smugglers operating in the region.

During a review meeting in Darbhanga on Friday as part of his Vikas Karyo Ki Samiksha Yatra, Nitish directed the inspector-general of police of Darbhanga zone Sunil Kumar Jha to inquire into the allegations against the SP and initiate action accordingly.

The CM received complaints that Samastipur SP reinstated the Singhiya SHO, who was earlier removed from the post for his alleged connivance with bootleggers. Singhia, about 13km Rosera sub-divisional headquarters, is close to the borders of Darbhanga and Khagaria districts.

Though Samastipur SP Deepak Ranjan was not available for comment, Rosera sub-divisional police officer Ajeet Kumar said Neeraj was posted at Singhiya SHO for the past year. "It's a matter of investigation. I won't be able to make any comment on the issue," he told The Telegraph over phone on Sunday.

"The message is loud and clear. The CM won't compromise on prohibition," said a senior IPS officer, who was present during the review meet in Darbhanga. Deepak Ranjan, who was posted as district police chief of Samastipur on August 2 this year, is the first SP-rank officer to face heat on prohibition, which came into force in April last year.

"It is because of such negligence that the CM has created a special cell leaded by an IG-rank officer to enforce prohibition more effectively," the IPS officer said.

Official statistics revealed that 251 persons had been arrested and 1,880 raids conducted to check smuggling of alcohol in Samastipur since January this year. In 2016, 340 persons were arrested and 1729 raids were carried out in the district.

Over a lakh people have been arrested and 75,000 cases lodged since the enforcement of prohibition in April 2016 but the smuggling of liquor has remained unabated. Consuming, keeping or dealing in liquor is an offence under the state's new prohibition law, which provides imprisonment up to 10 years.

Earlier, 11 inspectors were removed from the posts of SHOs on the directive of the police headquarters. The government had announced that the police officers found to be lax would not be posted as SHO for 10 years.