Siwan cooperative bank chief held for liquor smuggling

PATNA: Siwan Cooperative Bank chairman Ramayan Choudhary (46) was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly running interstate liquor smuggling racket. He was arrested from his residence at Barhangopal village under Mufassil police station area in Siwan district.
It was also revealed during the investigation that Choudhary favoured one of his close relatives, Vikrama Yadav, in getting loan from his bank to purchase a truck for smuggling liquor from Haryana.Police said Choudhary was into liquor business and had licenced shops before the state government enforced prohibition in April 2016.
Mairwan police station SHO Sanjeev Kumar said Choudhary’s involvement in liquor smuggling racket surfaced after a truck laden with 1200 litres of IMFL was seized near Dharni Chapar checkpost under his police station area on Uttar Pradesh border on September 23. “The entire consignment was smuggled from Haryana. It was to be supplied to several smaller liquor smugglers in Siwan,” he said.
The SHO said the truck was being escorted by a luxury car so that it could be guided to the designated location for unloading the consignment. “Altogether six persons, including Yadav, were arrested from the truck and the luxury car,” he said. The SHO said one more person was arrested later from Siwan town.
He said Yadav, in the course of interrogation, confessed to the police that Choudhary had been running the liquor smuggling racket. “He also confessed that Choudhary helped him get a loan from his bank to purchase the truck seized by the police for use in liquor smuggling,” the SHO said and added: “The case was supervised by senior officers before the SP issued his arrest order and he was nabbed on Tuesday.”
Kumar said at least 22 criminal cases were registered against Choudhary with different police stations in Siwan. “The cases are related to murder, extortion, illegal arms recovery, scuffle and liquor smuggling,” he said.
The SHO said eight of the cases are of illicit liquor smuggling or sale, including five registered in the pre-prohibition era. “One of the illicit liquor smuggling and sales cases dates back to 2003,” he added.