An alleged liquor smuggler was killed and another injured in a shoot-out with police early Monday morning in a diara (riverine area) of West Champaran district of Bihar, where total prohibition is in force since April 2016.
East Champaran’s superintendent of police (SP), Dr Kumar Ashish, who is also in-charge of Bettiah police in West Champaran, said that acting on a tip-off about arrival of a huge consignment of liquor from Uttar Pradesh through waterways, a police team laid a trap between Bharauwa Ghat and Birbhal Ghat under Srinagar police station.
“When challenged while the consignment was being unloaded, the smugglers, numbering between 20 and 25, opened fire. The police team returned the fire in self-defence. Around 50 rounds of fire were exchanged, 11 of them from the police side,” said the SP.
He said the gunfight lasted for about four hours from 2 am and later a body was found lying on the spot after break the of dawn. “As per the information available with us, another smuggler suffered bullet injuries. We are trying to locate his whereabouts,” said Dr Kumar.
The deceased as been identified as Jata Yadav, a resident of Bairiya in West Champaran, who was wanted in seven cases of loot, murder and dacoity, police said, adding that a tractor-cum-trolley, huge quantity of liquor, 25 lives cartridges, besides two empty ones, were recovered.
