Private security guard shot dead in Bihar’s Darbhanga for opposing unloading of illicit liquor at petrol pump

PATNA: A private security guard was shot dead by liquor smugglers for opposing the unloading of cartons of illicit liquor from a pick-up van at a petrol pump in Bihar’s Darbhanga district in the wee hours of Sunday.
Police said the incident took place around 2am on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Pramod Paswan (64), a retired village chowkidar, was on night duty at the petrol pump located near Madhopatti village under Kamtaul police station in Darbhanga district.
While Paswan was on his duty, a pick-up van came to the petrol pump followed by two bikers at around 2am in the wee hours of Sunday.
As the bikers began unloading some cartons of illicit liquor at the petrol pump, Paswan objected to the unloading, saying he would not allow the unloading of illicit materials at his petrol pump. Transportation, sale and consumption of liquor is totally banned in Bihar since April 2016.
Police said as Paswan, who earlier served as the village chowkidar, resisted unloading the liquor-packed cartons, it led to a verbal spat after which one of the bikers shot him from close range.
Hearing gunfire and hullabaloo, some local villagers reached the fuel station. But by that time, the bikers had fled away from the scene, leaving the liquor-laden pick-up van and one bike which had no registration number.
Within minutes, Pramod’s son and village chowkidar Rahul Paswan too reached the spot and rushed the injured father to the Darbhanga medical college and hospital in Darbhanga town. But the doctors at the DMCH declared his father as ‘brought dead’.
Soon after getting the information, police reached the fuel station and seized the liquor-laden pick-up van and the bike left by the assailants. The police also recovered two used cartridges from the spot.
Contacted over the phone, Darbhanga SSP Awakash Kumar told TOI on Sunday that police were conducting raids based on inputs provided by the deceased’s family, to nab two liquor smugglers who allegedly shot dead the security guard.
The SSP said police had also recovered 700 litres of illicit liquor from the pick-up van.
He said the members of the deceased's family had provided inputs about two persons who were involved in the crime.