Thirteen Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) personnel have been suspended for their involvement in selling illicit liquor that caused death of several persons, officials said on Friday.
In Ranchi, 16 persons including two JAP personnel have died this week after consuming spurious liquor.
Police have conducted many raids and destroyed several shops selling liquor illegally and seized hundreds of liquor bottles. An internal enquiry was also conducted by the JAP officials.
"During enquiry, it was found some JAP personnel were selling liquor illegally by claiming to have brought from the canteens. They have been identified and 13 suspended. Some of the suspended JAP personnel will be terminated from the service for their activities," a senior official of JAP told IANS.
The seized liquor bottles had sticker that read "sale for paramilitary forces for Jharkhand only".
One senior JAP constable Gautam Thapa has been arrested and sent to jail for selling liquor. He was arrested with 240 bottles of liquor.
The Jharkhand government on Friday has come out with an advertisement in local newspapers.
"Liquor is harmful for health. A reward of Rs 1 lakh reward will be given to village which will be free from liquor use," reads the advertisement.
The government has also issued toll free number on which anyone can inform regarding the illegal sale of liquor.
The Jharkhand Congress has called Ranchi shutdown on Saturday to protest the death of 16 persons.
"The government has come with advertisement appealing people not to take liquor. See the paradox, Jharkhand government is selling liquor itself by opening outlets but asking people not to buy it," Kishore Sahdeo, Jharkhand Congress General Secretary, told IANS.
"The government is all set to celebrate 1,000 days of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Raghubar Das over of death 1,000 children in different hospital this year and 16 deaths due to liquor," the Congress leader said.
--IANS
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