Mini-truck crashes into road divider in dry Bihar; locals loot liquor bottles as driver flees

Police said they were scrutinising CCTV footage and social media video clips to book people who had raided the vehicle and retrieve the liquor bottles from them

Dozens of local residents raided a mini-truck after the vehicle, loaded with alcohol, crashed into the road divider on Friday, setting off a scramble among locals who made off with liquor bottles.

Consumption, transportation, and sale of alcohol is banned across Bihar under its 2016 prohibition law.

Police said the incident involving an Assam registered took place near Kharhat Toll Plaza. The vehicle’s driver and the cleaner fled the spot. It is not clear how everyone got to know that the vehicle was carrying liquor.

But as news of the cargo spread, dozens of people rushed to the spot. According to a video clip that emerged on social media, many people including women and children picked individual bottles; some went for cartons.

“It was a usual accident at first site but as soon as the locals came to know about the liquor, they gathered in huge numbers and the looting of the liquor started,” a police officer said.

The video clip and photos of the public conducting their own raid caught attention of the district police headquarters, which rushed more police officers to the spot.

But by the time the police reached, there wasn’t much left to guard.

Sadar sub divisional police officer (SDPO) Sushil Kumar said the police had started scrutinising CCTV footage and social media video clips to identify those who picked up the bottles.

“All those involved in the loot will be arrested,” declared Kumar. He said the police was also searching for the vehicle’s driver who fled after the accident.

It is being speculated the vehicle was carrying the consignment from Assam or West Bengal or Assam and was headed to Bihar districts through Seemanchal.

Raniganj police said they had seized the vehicle and were trying to track the vehicle owner and the network.