Patna: After three alleged liquor smugglers were murdered in separate incidents in Samastipur within four days, Darbhanga range DIG Manoj Tiwari on Saturday held a review meeting with district police officials and directed them to intensify the crackdown on on liquor smugglers and their networks.According to police, all three deceased were linked to liquor smuggling, while those named as accused in the two murder cases were allegedly involved in the illegal liquor trade. Raids were underway to arrest the absconding accused.The first incident took place on the night of July 7 when notorious liquor smuggler Prabhat Choudhary and his associate Sunny Kumar were allegedly lured to Nampur Dariyapar village under Chakmahesi police station area and shot dead.Police said Prabhat had 11 criminal cases registered against him, including charges of kidnapping, murder and liquor smuggling, and chargesheets had been filed in the cases.Based on the statement of Prabhat’s father, Sanjay Kumar Choudhary, an FIR was lodged against Akhilesh Rai of Dagrail village and others. Police said Akhilesh has several liquor smuggling cases registered against him in Chakmahesi, Bishanpur and other police stations in Darbhanga district. Efforts are on to trace him, the police added.Samastipur SP Arvind Pratap Singh said the double murder appeared to be the result of rivalry in the liquor trade. “There is also information about a monetary dispute between Prabhat and Akhilesh. Sunny had no criminal record, but police suspect he too was linked to liquor smuggling as he lived with Prabhat,” he said.In the second incident, Ishant Kumar alias Chhotu was allegedly kidnapped and murdered on the night of July 8 in Bangraha village under Vidyapatinagar police station area. His body was later buried in a field.Police recovered the body from the field allegedly owned by accused Nand Kumar Singh alias Anandi Singh after digging nearly 10 feet with an earthmover. Anandi has a liquor smuggling case registered against him.The SP said Anandi and Chhotu were earlier involved in liquor smuggling together, but a dispute later led to rivalry. He suspect Chhotu was lured to a chicken farm, murdered as part of a conspiracy and then buried in the field. Rivalry among those involved in the illegal liquor trade was emerging as a common factor in both incidents, police said.
