Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, presently on his state-wide “Samaj Sudhar Abhiyan” (social reform marketing campaign) journey to create public consciousness on prohibition, slammed these against prohibition. He mentioned that those that drink alcohol and who face issue in coming to Bihar as a result of non-availability of liquor needn’t come to the state.
In a speech final Sunday, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana cited the Bihar Prohibition Act for instance of “lack of foresight” in drafting the legislation, which has led to a flood of instances in courts. and “a simple bail application” took a 12 months. disposed of.
Nitish highlighted the truth that courts have been closed and jails are overcrowded for the reason that promulgation of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016.
State police information present that until October this 12 months, 3,48,170 instances have been registered below the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act and 4,01,855 arrests have been made. Around 20,000 bail purposes associated to those instances are pending for disposal earlier than the Patna High Court and district courts within the state.
The Patna High Court disposed of 19,842 bail petitions (advance and common) in instances of prohibition between January 2020 and November 2021, taking the full bail petitions disposed of by the court docket throughout this era to 70,673. As of this November, 6,880 bail petitions in such instances are nonetheless pending earlier than the High Court, taking the full bail determine to 37,381.
Altogether the 59 jails in Bihar have a capability to carry about 47,000 prisoners. However, in response to jail sources, there are presently round 70,000 inmates in these jails, of whom round 25,000 had been booked below the Liquor Act.
Bihar Police has intensified its marketing campaign in opposition to prohibition violators for the reason that incidents of spurious liquor in Gopalganj and Bettiah in early November this 12 months, with round 10,000 alleged violators being arrested in November alone. This has led to additional congestion in jails throughout the state. Patna’s Beur Central Jail has a capability to carry round 2,400 inmates, however is presently overcrowded with 5,600 inmates.
A jail superintendent mentioned: “Every third or fourth prisoner is an accused below the liquor legislation. This has been the development since 2017. In 2019 and 2020, we acquired some reduction, most of whom acquired bail, however the variety of liquor legislation violators in jails is on the rise once more.
When reached for remark, Bihar Additional Director of Police (Headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar instructed The Indian Express, “IG (Prisons) may share details about the liquor law”. IG (Prisons) Mithilesh Mishra, nevertheless, was not obtainable.
A house division supply mentioned: “The conviction price in liquor instances is lower than one per cent. But for fast disposal of instances below the Prohibition and Excise Act, about 75 particular courts are being constituted.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar continues to reiterate his marketing campaign for prohibition in Bihar. During his present go to, the CM had mentioned in Gopalganj on 24 December: “The dying sentence of 9 folks (this March) by the Gopalganj court docket in a liquor case in 2016 is a good lesson for the drinkers and merchants. Piyoge to maroge (If you drink, you’ll die)”.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
