Releasing a man detained for allegedly violating liquor prohibition proved costly for two cops posted at Bahadurpur police station in Patna.

Sub-inspector Devpal Paswan and police constable Vishwanath Prasad were put under suspension after it was established that the two cops had released 44-year-old Alok Ranjan from police custody after being "obliged by him".

A police team picked up Ranjan when he was creating nuisance under the influence of alcohol in the area falling under the jurisdiction of Bahadurpur police station on Saturday night.

The cops on duty, Devpal and Vishwanath, told the station house officer over phone that the result of breathanalyser test conducted on the man was found negative. He was thus released from the police station late in the night.

The SHO got suspicious and visited the police station. By the time he reached the police station Ranjan had already been freed. He again brought Ranjan back to the police station and conducted the breathanalyser test. The result showed he had consumed alcohol.

Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said the test was found positive. Taking a note of the matter, the SSP asked the SHO concerned to lodge a case against the two personnel and send them to jail.

Maharaaj said a case under Section 37 (b) of the Bihar Excise and Prohibition Act, 2016, had been lodged against Ranjan. "Apart from Ranjan, the two policemen were arrested and forwarded to jail," the SSP said.

About 18 policemen, including five officers, have been dismissed from service since chief minister Nitish Kumar held a meeting to review the action taken by the police and excise department to implement prohibition in the state.

In addition, 42 constables have been put under suspension and departmental proceedings have been initiated against them for their failure to enforce the law under their jurisdiction effectively.

Liquor seizure

The Vaishali police seized over 100 cartons of India made foreign liquor worth Rs 5 lakh from a hut in Ramdhadar locality of Hajipur district headquarters town late on Saturday night.

The raid was conducted following a tip-off that the liquor was being provided to local people from the hut.

The seized liquor was smuggled from Haryana. A massive hunt has been launched to nab the peddlers.

Youths killed

Two youths were killed when a speeding truck hit their motorbike near Rajauli in Nawada district on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Devendra Prasad and Gurua Turiya, both residents of Rajauli in Nawada.

The police later seized the abandoned truck.