The Jakkanpur police station house officer (SHO) was suspended and all personnel of the police station sent to the Police Lines after five men were caught drinking liquor in the operation theatre of Sai Emergency and Trauma Hospital on Sunday night.

The hospital director was also detained on Monday.

Liquor bottles were seized and five inebriated men were arrested in the raid. The men confessed they drank regularly in the hospital, and the police brass also came to know that Jakkanpur police hardly conducted raids to seize liquor being smuggled thanks to a nexus between police personnel and smugglers.

"Based on our probe and inputs from residents, Jakkanpur police station SHO Amrendra Jha has been suspended and the rest of the personnel - from havildar to assistant sub-inspector rank - have been forwarded to the Police Lines," said Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj. "Anupam Yadav, the director of Sai Emergency and Trauma Hospital in Jakkanpur, has been detained and the process of sealing the facility from where liquor was seized has started."

Patna inspector-general (IG) of police Nayyar Hassnain Khan said the hospital will remain sealed without affecting any patient.

"Those undergoing treatment there will get medical facilities but no new patient will be admitted," he said. "A probe has been ordered under City SP (east) Dhurath Sayli Sablaram, as we have come to know that some police personnel were involved in liquor trade too."

More than 500 people have been arrested under Operation Sura, which the Patna police launched on May 11 to crack down against the illegal liquor trade.

On Monday, 73 people were arrested and 168 litres of country-made liquor, 125 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor, three two-wheelers and a car were seized from different police station areas. The arrested included six women, who were produced before the SSP at his office on Monday. Many of the arrested accused the cops had framed them.

"I was combing my daughter's hair outside our house when some police personnel suddenly came and arrested me accusing me to be involved in the liquor trade," shouted a woman who refused to reveal her identity.

She was one among many who accused the police of targeting innocent people on the pretext of Operation Sura.

"If someone is found running liquor trade, the police are treating the entire village as culprits," said Suresh Ram, a resident of Digha Mushari.

An SHO in Patna said: "SHOs are under pressure to seize liquor. But it's a tough task with limited police force."

Four policemen, including Digha police station SHO Golden Kumar, were injured when liquor smugglers attacked the raiding team at Udaan Tola on Saturday night.