Five policemen were crushed to death and four others injured late on Sunday night by a speeding truck likely to be loaded with illegal liquor bottles in Muzaffarpurt district of Bihar.
The incident happened at Akuraha Dhala under Panapur police outpost in Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar. A police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishna Murari Prasad was on a search operation for a bigger illegal consignment on the way.
“Five police officials died on the spot after a speeding container truck crushed them and four others, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishna Murari Prasad and Panapur outpost incharge Dhurvanath Jha are injured”, said Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of police Vivek Kumar.
All the injured policemen are admitted in a local private hospital at Bairiya in Muzaffarpur where their conditions are state to be critical.
On a tiff of that a big consignment of illegal liquor was to cross the Akuraha Dhal under Panapur, the policemen had started checking on the road. “A speeding container truck was seen coming on the road but when policemen indicated the driver to stop the truck increased its speed and crushed the policemen and their vehicle”, said a police official.
Neither the truck nor the driver was traced so far.
The injured policemen were first admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital where five of them declared brought dead while, four others injured were later admitted to a private hospital.
In dry Bihar trade of illegal liquor has been a thriving business with several lakhs liter of the brew has already been seized in the state since April 2016 and over 60,000 people have been arrested.
In April last year the state government had effected a new stringent prohibition law to ban liquor in the state.
Everyday illegal liquor bottles are being seized even in the state capital, Patna.
“In dry Bihar, it has given a new employment for the criminals and youths of the state to funnel liquor bottles from the neighboring states…policemen too have got an easier and thriving way to earn money…it has become a two-way business in the state”, a young businessman of Patna Rajesh Kumar told The Hindu.
Leaving other law and order problems aside, the policemen these days appeared more concerned and alert over any information regarding illegal liquor supply, he added.
Many policemen even have been suspended in the state for not taking action against illegal liquor mafias.