Patna: In a significant embarrassment for the Bihar Police, thieves successfully pilfered a stash of liquor bottles from a police station in Muzaffarpur district on the night of September 22nd. The incident occurred at the Sikandarpur Police Outpost, where the police had stored confiscated alcoholic beverages. Notably, Bihar has imposed a prohibition on alcohol, leading to regular seizures of smuggled liquor by the police.
The thieves seized this opportunity during a night of heavy rainfall when the on-duty officers had congregated in one location. Taking advantage of the situation, the perpetrators managed to breach the rear wall of the police station and make off with five boxes and a bag filled with confiscated liquor bottles. The police personnel on site remained oblivious to the theft, and the matter only came to light the following day. When the officers discovered the missing liquor bottles on Saturday morning, they were taken aback. A search operation was immediately launched in the vicinity, and it was soon realized that an individual had gone missing since the previous night. The police initiated efforts to locate this individual, eventually finding him beneath the Akharaghat bridge.
Upon interrogation, the suspect, identified as Bhola Kumar, confessed to the crime. He disclosed that he had concealed some of the stolen bottles in an old refrigerator at a nearby junkyard close to the police outpost. Bhola Kumar admitted to having an accomplice, and they had divided the stolen loot between them. According to Bhola Kumar's account, on the night of the theft, his partner led him to the police station, equipped with a chisel and a rod. His partner climbed over the station's wall using a nearby pole and created an opening in the wall by breaking a ventilator using the chisel and rod. Bhola was stationed as a lookout during this operation. Once the opening was established, Bhola's partner entered the storage room through it and passed five cartons and a bag filled with liquor to Bhola.
The accomplice gave two cartons and the bag to Bhola, who made his exit with three cartons of liquor. Their intention was to sell the stolen liquor in the market the following day. However, the police search operation had already commenced before they could execute their plan, prompting Bhola to take refuge under the Akharaghat bridge. Despite his attempt to evade capture, the police managed to apprehend him. Subsequently, the police recovered Bhola's portion of the stolen liquor from an old refrigerator near the junkyard. Devabrata Kumar, the OP in-charge, confirmed that the liquor found in the fridge matched the stolen items. The police reported that a total of 56 liters of liquor had been stolen, with 32 liters successfully recovered.
Devabrata Kumar explained that the walls of the police outpost were deteriorated, which facilitated the thieves' break-in. The incident underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement in Bihar in enforcing alcohol prohibition, with frequent seizures of contraband and the need to secure confiscated items until their disposal. Despite the arrest of one thief and the recovery of part of the stolen property, the incident remains a significant embarrassment for the police force.
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