Bhubaneswar, Aug. 12: The arrest of three women in Kendrapara district in the past two days over bootlegging charges has brought the trend of using women as shield to the forefront at a time women's organisations have been spearheading anti-liquor campaigns in the state.

Nikirai police arrested Mukta Pal, 62, yesterday, while Mahakalpada police nabbed Sarawati Mallik, 65, and Sumitra Rout, 60, today. The accused were caught red-handed while carrying out country liquor trade without valid licences, said Kendrapara's excise superintendent Rash Behari Patra.

The women have been in the bootlegging business for some time. Acting on a tip-off, they were held from their houses with illicit liquor, said excise department personnel.

Patra said: "We raided their houses and recovered hooch. The women had been in the trade for some time and used to sell it to neighbours and whoever visited their homes. Their family members procured the hooch, while they were in charge of selling it."

The women were later remanded to judicial custody under provisions of the Bihar-Orissa Excise Act.

"Women are probably being used as shields while the larger racket is operated by male members of the family. In the past, women offenders were let off on humanitarian grounds," said another excise department official.

Over the past months, women have led anti-liquor agitations across the state, demolishing outlets at some place or the other almost every day.

On March 8, 2015, anti-liquor campaigners, mostly women, suffered bullet injuries at Namtara village in Rajkanika area in Kendrapara district in police firing while protesting against a liquor shop. The incident, which had taken place on International Women's Day, caused a state-wide uproar and forced the state government to order an administrative probe by the revenue divisional commissioner (central division).

The Opposition parties had alleged that women of the village had earlier urged the administration to close down the liquor outlet. But the administration had not paid any heed to it.

However, undeterred by the police firing, women across the state have been taking the lead in anti-liquor campaigns. They have also been demanding total prohibition such as what has been imposed in Bihar, though the state government has maintained that it was neither practical nor possible to implement it in the state.