WATCH: Excise officials fire shots in air in Bihar's Begusarai amid clash with locals over liquor raid

Begusarai: - A tense clash unfolded in Bihar’s Begusarai on Sunday night when a team from the Excise Department encountered opposition and physical attacks from the local residents upon their arrival for a liquor raid.

The incident triggered a stampede-like situation among the gathered crowd.

According to reports, the Excise Department's vehicle was traversing the Pipra Samsa PWD path when the officials disembarked from the car to investigate individuals suspected of consuming alcohol at the Matkor event.

Police resorts to firing shots

This sparked a dispute between the villagers and the police, which quickly escalated. In response to the mounting tension, the police resorted to firing shots, prompting the villagers to retaliate by pelting stones at the law enforcement officers.

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A representative from the Excise Department asserted that the raid on Mithilesh Chaudhary's residence in Bhagwanpur, under the jurisdiction of Bhagwanpur police station, was conducted based on confidential information.

Two people taken into custody

Two individuals were apprehended at the scene with two bottles of liquor. However, the local residents vehemently opposed the police intervention, resulting in a verbal altercation. Matters intensified as the villagers resorted to hurling bricks and stones at the police, causing minor injuries to three officers. The injured policemen were subsequently admitted to the nearby PSC (Public Service Center) for medical treatment.

Sub-Inspector Pramod Kumar of the Excise Department refuted the allegations made by the villagers, asserting that the police resorted to two instances of aerial firing solely in self-defense, without causing harm to anyone involved.

Investigation underway

Meanwhile, Santosh Kumar, the Chief of Bhagwanpur police station, shed light on the incident, explaining that the excise department's team encountered opposition and physical attacks from the local residents upon their arrival for the raid. Kumar emphasised that the police were compelled to use aerial firing as a measure of self-defense. An ongoing investigation is currently underway to comprehensively examine the entirety of the matter.

Published on: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 05:39 PM IST