Illicit Liquor Tragedy: Over 150 Deaths in Dry Bihar Since 2016

More than 150 people have died due to consuming illicit liquor in Bihar since April 2016, post the state's alcohol ban. The state's Prohibition and Excise department reports 256 suspected hooch-related deaths and extensive confiscations of illicit liquor and vehicles used in its transport. The state also faces criticism for its prohibition policies.

More than 150 people in Bihar have died from consuming illicit liquor since the state went dry in April 2016, according to a senior official of the Prohibition and Excise department.

While the total number of suspected hooch deaths reported from different parts of the state over the last eight years is 266, the official confirmed that 156 of these deaths have been verified. The ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol was imposed by Nitish Kumar's government in April 2016.

The secretary of the Prohibition and Excise department, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, provided these statistics at a press conference, highlighting that the maximum confirmed hooch deaths occurred in the districts of Saran, Gaya, Bhojpur, Buxar, and Gopalganj.

From 2016 to August 2024, the department registered 8.43 lakh cases of prohibition law violations, resulting in the arrest of 12.7 lakh people, including 234 from outside the state. Authorities have seized 3.46 crore bulk litres of liquor and destroyed 98% of it. Additionally, 1.24 lakh vehicles used for transporting liquor have been confiscated.

The auction of 71,727 seized vehicles has yielded Rs 327.13 crore. The department, in collaboration with the police, is using drones in several districts to catch individuals violating prohibition laws.

At the press conference, Bihar Prohibition and Excise Minister Ratnesh Sada dismissed Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's assertion that the prohibition laws disproportionately target Dalits. Sada urged Manjhi, who had claimed that the prohibition regime mainly targeted vulnerable sections while liquor was being home-delivered, to consult higher-ups before making such statements.