A Government Railway Police (GRP) head constable and a woman Home Guard personnel have been arrested and sent to jail for allegedly hiding around 27 litres of liquor recovered from the Garib Rath Express at Hajipur Junction in Bihar, India Today reported. The two — Head Constable Narendra Kumar Singh and Home Guard personnel Archana Kumari, both posted with the Hajipur GRP — were on patrol and escort duty aboard the train on October 20.

According to Dinman Times, their escort duty ran from Chhapra to Hajipur on the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express (train number 12204), and the liquor was recovered from the train at Chhapra. During the check, the two recovered bags containing around 27 litres of liquor. They were required to inform their senior officers about the seizure and register a case; instead, they allegedly failed to report the recovery and concealed the bags.

The matter came to light after senior railway police officers, including the Rail SP and the GRP in-charge, learnt about the incident and ordered an investigation. CCTV footage from Hajipur station was examined, which reportedly showed the two personnel getting off the train with the bags. GRP Hajipur station house officer Yogendra Kumar said the two had recovered the liquor during escort duty but hid the information, and that the hidden liquor was recovered on their pointing during questioning, after which both were arrested, Dinman Times reported.

27 litresliquor allegedly recovered aboard the Garib Rath Express and then concealed
4 bagsbags in which the liquor was carried, per India Today
2railway police personnel arrested and sent to jail
20 Octoberday of the escort duty on which the seizure was made

Case under the Prohibition Act; two unknown persons also named

The Hajipur GRP registered a case under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act and arrested the two personnel; they were later sent to jail. Dinman Times reported that the FIR also names two unidentified persons as accused. The hidden stock, according to the report, comprised 36 bottles of 750 ml each — 24 of Royal Stag and 12 of Officer's Choice — totalling about 27 litres.

Police are also investigating who brought the bags aboard the train and whether liquor smugglers were involved in the case, India Today reported. Bihar has enforced complete prohibition since 2016, and trains and stations are a closely watched route for liquor smuggling into the dry state — which is why an allegation that the escort personnel themselves concealed a seizure has raised questions of departmental accountability.

What is solid

  • GRP Head Constable Narendra Kumar Singh and Home Guard personnel Archana Kumari, both posted at Hajipur GRP, have been arrested and sent to jail in the case (India Today; Dinman Times).
  • About 27 litres of liquor was recovered during their October 20 escort duty on the Garib Rath Express, and a case has been registered under the Bihar prohibition law (India Today; Dinman Times).
  • Senior officers ordered an inquiry and CCTV footage from Hajipur station was examined before the arrests (India Today; Dinman Times).
  • The FIR also names two unidentified persons, and GRP SHO Yogendra Kumar has said the hidden liquor was recovered on the arrested personnel's pointing (Dinman Times).

What is only claimed

  • That the two personnel deliberately concealed the seizure is an allegation in a pending case; it has not been established by a court, and an arrest is not a finding of guilt.
  • Reports differ on the number of bags — India Today reports four bags, while Dinman Times notes an initial mention of five bags and four recovered from the hiding place; only the official seizure list can settle the count.

For now, the two personnel who were meant to report the liquor are in jail over its concealment, and the probe continues into who loaded the bags onto the train in the first place.