Patna, Oct 3: Two police officers -- a police station incharge and a sub-inspector -- were arrested in Bihar's Gopalganj district on Wednesday for selling liquor in the dry state, police said.

Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Rashid Zaman said: "I have informed the top officers of the police department about the case. Action against both officials would be taken according to the prohibition law."

Baikanthpur Police Station Officer Incharge Lakshminarayan Mahto along with a sub-inspector posted there were caught red-handed by Zaman, who was alerted about the incident by the residents, for selling seized liquor from the police station.

The incident has again exposed police involvement in illegal liquor business in the state.

Ironically, two police officials were arrested for selling liquor a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar instructed the police and the concerned officials to be strict in implementing liquor ban in the state.

More than 1.33 lakh cases in connection with violation of the prohibition have been recorded since the ban was imposed in Bihar by Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United government on April 5, 2016.



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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.