Dozens of people reportedly looted liquor bottles from a mini-truck after it crashed into a road divider near Kharhat Toll Plaza in Bihar on Friday, prompting police to launch an investigation and identify those involved.
The incident occurred despite Bihar’s prohibition law, which bans the consumption, transportation and sale of alcohol across the state.
The truck, registered in Assam, was carrying a consignment of liquor when it met with the accident. The driver and cleaner reportedly fled the scene following the crash.
It remains unclear how information about the truck’s cargo spread among local residents. However, soon after the accident, dozens of people gathered at the spot and began taking bottles from the vehicle.
Videos show locals taking liquor bottles
Videos and photographs circulating on social media appeared to show residents, including women and children, picking up individual bottles, while some people reportedly took entire cartons.
A police officer said the incident initially appeared to be a routine road accident, but the situation changed after locals learned that the vehicle was carrying liquor.
The footage drew the attention of the district police headquarters, which sent additional personnel to the location. However, by the time police arrived, much of the liquor consignment had reportedly been taken.
Police use CCTV and social media footage
Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Sushil Kumar said police were examining CCTV recordings and videos circulating on social media to identify people who allegedly took bottles from the vehicle.
Police said those identified would face arrest. Authorities are also searching for the truck’s driver, who fled following the accident.
Raniganj police have seized the vehicle and are working to identify its owner and establish the source and intended destination of the liquor consignment.
Investigation underway into liquor supply route
Police are also investigating the suspected route of the consignment. Preliminary speculation is that the liquor may have originated in Assam or West Bengal before being transported towards districts in Bihar’s Seemanchal region.
Authorities are attempting to trace the vehicle’s ownership and determine the wider network involved in transporting the prohibited liquor into Bihar.
