- By Akansha Pandey
- Wed, 17 Sep 2025 03:23 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
In the lead-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, a special team from the Prohibition and Excise Department has intensified its efforts against liquor smuggling. In a recent operation, the department successfully arrested eight individuals, including three generations of a single family, for liquor smuggling.
Acting on a confidential tip-off, the excise team, led by Inspectors Deepak Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar, conducted a raid on a highway in the Fakuli police station area. They intercepted two luxury cars with Delhi license plates traveling from Patna Road. Inside the vehicles, which were occupied by two separate family groups, the team discovered 24 cartons of Haryana-made English liquor hidden in specially constructed secret compartments.
The arrested individuals were identified as:
88-year-old Narayan Raut, his son Shatrudhan Raut and his grandson Sanjiv Kumar, all from Sitamarhi district.
- Vijay Kumar (driver) from Sitamarhi.
- Rupa Devi from New Delhi.
- Sushila Devi and her husband Vishal Kumar from Sitamarhi.
- Suraj Kumar (driver) from Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh.
During questioning, Shatrudhan Raut confessed to being the ringleader of the smuggling operation. He admitted to regularly transporting liquor consignments from Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. He revealed that the family traveled together to create the appearance of a normal family trip, which helped them avoid suspicion from police and excise teams. The secret compartments were also designed to help them evade border checks. This particular consignment was being transported from Haryana to Sitamarhi for sale.
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A case has been registered against all eight individuals under relevant sections of the Excise Act, and further investigation is underway. The two vehicles and the seized liquor have been confiscated by the authorities.