Patna: Houses sealed last year for violating prohibition in Rohtas have been opened and are being used to brew country liquor, villagers have informed police.
On January 24 last year, a team from the Rohtas administration and excise department sealed 14 houses at Beda and Banarsia village under Mufassil police station in Rohtas district, around 170km west of Patna, in the presence of inspector-general (Patna zone) N.H. Khan.
Residents, however, informed the police on Tuesday night that the seals on the houses had been broken and some people had allegedly again occupied the premises in violation of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.
Station house officer of Mufassil police Jag Nivas Singh said he had not received any order from the court to open the buildings. "The buildings were sealed by officials of the excise department. So it's their responsibility to see whether the status quo was being maintained or not," he said, adding that the police's job was to maintain law and order.
"A police team has been sent to the villages to take appropriate action," he told The Telegraph over phone on Wednesday.
Assistant excise commissioner Anand said it was the responsibility of the district police to keep a tab on the sealed buildings. "If the buildings have been opened, it's negligence on the part of the police station concerned," he added.
Last year, district and excise officials were shocked to find liquor being manufactured in the buildings close to a government middle school. Violent clashes frequently broke out between groups of liquor traders.
The Telegraph had highlighted in its January 25, 2017, edition (Prohibition zeal backfires on school) on how the liquor mafia had even beaten up children when they were returning home from the school at Banarsia village.
Mufassil police station house officer Singh said cases were lodged against those involved in brewing and selling illicit liquor.
At that time, the government had issued a showcause notice to then Rohtas superintendent of police Manavjeet Singh Dhillon. Then Mufassil police station house officer Birendra Prasad Yadav was suspended as well.
