Don't carry liquor in Bihar, army warns its personnel after repeated arrests

Patna: After reports that some of their staff were being arrested in Bihar for violating the state’s liquor policy, the Army has issued a warning to its present and retired staff from carrying liquor in the state.

According to Indian Express, the Army was forced to issue the direction after many of its service personnel were arrested for violating the prohibition in the state enforced by the Nitish Kumar government despite possessing the relevant authorisation letter.

The warning was issued by the Canteen Services Directorate of the Quartermaster General, in a letter sent to all the command headquarters of the Army, Navy and Air force.

The Nitish Kumar government, on April 5, imposed a total prohibition in the state, making possession and consumption of liquor an offence.

The law has put many in the defence forces in quandary, who have opposed it vigorously.

Though the prohibition does not extend to military cantonments, the only notified cantonment in Bihar is the Danapur cantonment, the leter noted, making other cantonments fall in purview of the law.

A Captain rank officer of the army posted in Shillong was sent to jail after he was apprehended carrying 22 bottles of rum in the Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani express.

Another jawan was arrested at Hajipur junction in Vaishali after he was found with several bottles of Indian made foreign liquor.

The prohibition law is expected to be more stringent, with a revised version of the law in the Bihar assembly extending the liabilities to entire families and even assets.