Bihar home guard killed while chasing people carrying liquor, cops say accident, deny reports of gunfire
Police ruled out foul play, stating the crash was likely due to a pothole. The incident highlights ongoing issues with illegal alcohol trade in the region.
A Home Guard posted with the Bihar excise department was killed after his motorcycle skidded when he was chasing people carrying liquor in Gopalganj on Saturday, reported PTI.
Abhisekh Sharma was on duty and on a motorcycle with a colleague at the time of the accident around 4.30 am near the State Engineering College in Vishwambhrpur area, said sub-inspector Avdhesh Dixit. His colleague sustained minor injuries.
Although there were reports of Sharma having been shot dead in an attack by the liquor mafia, the police denied these, citing doctors at the hospital who found no bullet injury on his body.
A probe is underway on whether the motorcycle was hit by another vehicle.
“Prima facie, it appears to be a case of accident,” the police said, adding that it was probably caused by a pothole which threw the duo off the motorcycle.
Police immediately reached the spot and took them to the nearest government hospital, where Abhisekh succumbed to injuries during treatment, he added.
The people who were being chased were also on a motorcycle, the PTI report added.
Sale and consumption of alcohol is banned in Bihar since 2016, after prohibition was imposed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. But smuggling and illegal production are reported.
Hooch tragedies tread deeper in Bihar
The accident comes just three days after the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches in at least seven locations in Muzaffarpur over a money laundering case in the state, linked to alleged illegal liquor smuggling, a separate PTI report quoted official sources as saying.
After the last round of searches in this case, the ED attached assets worth ₹9.9.31 crore, the report added.
Multiple individuals every year face legal charges including arrest for selling spurious liquor in the state.
As a part of a crackdown on illicit liquor trade in the state last year, Bihar Police said they have made several arrests and raided more than a hundred places across Siwan and Saran districts.
In a PTI report dated October 2024, Director General of Police Alok Raj said that around 25 people across two districts in Bihar, lost their lives after consuming spurious alcohol and several other suffered physical disabilities.
