Liquor mafias attack raiding excise team in dry Bihar; five injured

A group of men allegedly associated with illegal liquor manufacturing attacked an excise department team in Katihar district of Bihar, a dry state, injuring five of its members, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place at Dumar Dhangar Tola under Pothia police outpost when the excise department team had gone to raid a manufacturing unit of illegal liquor on Wednesday.

An FIR was registered against 14 named and 125 unnamed people in connection with the attack on the team on Thursday evening, Pothia police outpost in-charge Sanjay Das said.

The team members reached the den on Wednesday afternoon and when they were destroying liquor manufacturing equipment, half-finished products and raw materials, a mob attacked them with stones and bricks.

Five members of the team, including Excise Inspector Devvrat Kumar, were injured in the attack. They were administered first-aid at a primary health centre, Das said.

The liquor mafias who used children and women as a shield, managed to flee from the spot, according to the complaint.

Manufacture, sale, transport, trade, consumption and possession of liquor are banned under the Bihar Excise and Prohibition Act, 2016.