PATNA: A state excise department team seized Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) from an anganwadi centre at Mutulpur village under Hattha police outpost in Muzaffarpur district on Saturday.
The two-storey government building, supposed to supply nutritious diet to pregnant and lactating women, was being used to store and supply illicit liquor, much to the surprise of the excise officials.
Acting on specific inputs, the excise department team led by inspector Abhinav Kumar raided the anganwadi centre only to discover a 10-foot-deep and equally wide specially designed ‘tahkhana’ to stock the consignment.
Altogether 62 cartons of liquor were recovered from the hidden ‘tahkhna’. The supervisor and the ‘sevika’ of the centre were summoned by the excise officials for interrogation.
Muzaffarpur excise superintendent Sanjay Rai said a detailed report would be sent to the district magistrate on the misuse of the government building. The house of the anganwadi ‘sevika’ in question is located nearby the centre.
“Stern disciplinary action will be initiated against those found involved in bootlegging,” the excise superintendent said.
He, however, refused to disclose the names of the anganwadi sevika and the supervisor on the plea that it would affect the investigation. “Their role in the illegal trade is being ascertained,” he added.
Meanwhile, the excise superintendent said 320 cartons of liquor were seized in separate raids in Motipur, Bochaha and Bandra blocks in the district on Saturday. Five vehicles were also seized, he added.
The arrested bootleggers were identified as Manoj Rai (Gaighat), Ranjit Kumar (Jayadih), Rishi Raj (Bochaha), Sajiv Kumar (Kanti), Pratyush Kumar (Minapur) and Ritesh Kumar (Ahiyapur). The seized consignment was smuggled from Haryana.