PATNA: The Patna high court has expressed its displeasure over the absence of any mechanism to identify liquor smugglers in Bihar, leading to “flourishing gangs and economic offences due to rampant illicit liquor trade”.
The court has also sought a report from the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) chairman regarding any adverse impact of destruction of liquor on soil. The order was passed on March 29, but uploaded to the HC website on Wednesday.
The court remarked that liquor smuggling is not only a criminal act but also an economic offence. “Gangs are mainly engaged in preparing illicit liquor and its smuggling with intent to earn wealth. They are flourishing in Bihar for want of rules prescribing procedure or mechanism to stop the organised trade of illicit liquor in the state. The persons lower in the hierarchy of such gangs are arrested and also released. Such loopholes have led to the flourishing of the illicit liquor trade in the state,” the single bench of Justice Purnendu Singh remarked.
