Bihar Excise Minister Madan Sahni has alleged a nexus between sections of the police and the liquor mafia, questioning the effectiveness of prohibition enforcement and raising concerns about police cooperation in implementing the state’s liquor ban.
Bihar’s long-running debate over the effectiveness of its prohibition policy has once again moved to the center of public discussion after State Prohibition, Excise and Registration Minister Madan Sahni made a series of sharp allegations against sections of the police administration. The minister claimed that the state’s ambitious liquor ban has not delivered complete success because of the alleged involvement of certain police personnel with liquor smugglers and illegal alcohol networks.
The remarks have triggered fresh controversy within Bihar’s administrative and political circles, raising serious questions about the enforcement of one of the state’s most high-profile social reform initiatives.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Sahni openly questioned the commitment of parts of the police machinery toward implementing total prohibition. His comments come nearly a decade after Bihar imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, sale, transportation, and consumption of alcohol, a policy that continues to be promoted by the state government as a major social welfare measure.
Minister Alleges Nexus Between Police and Liquor Smugglers
Launching an unusually direct criticism of law enforcement agencies, Madan Sahni suggested that the liquor ban’s enforcement has suffered because of alleged cooperation between certain police personnel and illegal liquor operators.
According to the minister, if the police administration had been fully committed to enforcing prohibition, the state’s law enforcement agencies would not have faced recurring allegations related to liquor smuggling and illegal alcohol trade.
Sahni argued that the continued availability of illicit liquor in several areas points toward systemic shortcomings in enforcement. He alleged that there appeared to be an unhealthy relationship between some members of the police force and elements involved in the liquor mafia.
The minister’s remarks are among the strongest public criticisms made by a serving member of the Bihar government regarding the role of law enforcement agencies in implementing prohibition.
His comments have reignited discussions about whether the state’s enforcement mechanisms are adequately equipped to tackle sophisticated smuggling networks that continue to operate despite the ban.
Questions Raised Over DGP’s Involvement in Prohibition Enforcement
The minister did not limit his criticism to field-level enforcement.
He also expressed disappointment over what he described as insufficient engagement from the senior police leadership, particularly regarding prohibition-related review meetings.
According to Sahni, a recent meeting convened to assess enforcement efforts was attended by representatives from several agencies, including railway authorities, airport officials, and personnel from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
However, he claimed that the Director General of Police did not participate in the review.
The minister further alleged that after the meeting he attempted to contact the DGP multiple times but was unable to establish communication.
According to Sahni, prohibition enforcement requires active participation from the highest levels of the police hierarchy because law enforcement agencies remain the primary institutions responsible for intelligence gathering, interdiction operations, and criminal investigations related to liquor smuggling.
He suggested that prohibition should become a regular agenda item during law-and-order reviews conducted by senior police officials across the state.
Madhubani Case Sparks Fresh Controversy
The controversy gained additional momentum following reports from Bihar’s Madhubani district involving an alleged narcotics smuggling case.
According to reports, a vehicle carrying more than four quintals of ganja, allegedly transported from Nepal and headed toward Vaishali district, was intercepted during an operation.
What attracted public attention, however, were allegations that police personnel may have been involved in facilitating the movement of the vehicle.
Subsequently, four policemen were reportedly arrested in connection with the case.
Referring to the incident, Sahni argued that such developments reinforce public concerns regarding the possible involvement of certain law enforcement personnel in illegal activities.
The case has intensified discussions not only about liquor smuggling but also about broader issues involving narcotics trafficking, cross-border criminal networks, and enforcement accountability.
Women and Villagers Expressing Concerns
According to the minister, concerns regarding prohibition enforcement are no longer confined to government departments or political circles.
He claimed that women, village communities, and social groups have increasingly begun raising questions about the effectiveness of the liquor ban and the actions taken against those violating the law.
The prohibition policy was originally introduced in response to demands from women’s organizations, community groups, and social activists who argued that alcohol consumption was contributing to domestic violence, financial distress, and family instability.
Many of these groups were among the strongest supporters of prohibition when it was introduced in 2016.
Sahni expressed concern that some women now complain that enforcement efforts have weakened over time and that individuals involved in illegal liquor operations often escape effective action.
The minister suggested that public confidence in the prohibition regime depends heavily on visible and consistent enforcement.
Excise Department Claims Better Recovery Performance
Highlighting what he described as a lack of adequate cooperation from police agencies, Sahni claimed that the Excise Department has, in many instances, seized larger quantities of illegal liquor than law enforcement agencies.
According to him, the department has been carrying out extensive enforcement operations despite facing resource constraints.
The minister argued that prohibition cannot be successfully implemented by a single department acting in isolation.
Instead, he said, it requires close coordination among excise officials, police forces, intelligence agencies, border security units, transportation authorities, and local administrations.
Without such cooperation, he warned, illegal liquor syndicates would continue finding opportunities to operate.
Bihar’s Decade-Long Experiment With Prohibition
Bihar became one of India’s few states to implement complete prohibition when the government imposed a total liquor ban in April 2016.
The policy was introduced with multiple social objectives, including reducing alcohol-related crimes, improving public health outcomes, strengthening family welfare, addressing domestic violence concerns, and enhancing economic stability among poorer households.
Supporters of the policy have often highlighted positive social changes in many communities, particularly among women and economically vulnerable families.
At the same time, critics have repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of implementation and pointed to continuing incidents involving liquor seizures, smuggling networks, and illicit alcohol operations.
Over the years, enforcement agencies have conducted thousands of raids and seized substantial quantities of illegal liquor. Yet the persistence of underground supply chains has remained a major challenge.
NFHS Findings Revive Debate on Effectiveness
Questions surrounding the success of prohibition have also been fueled by recent findings from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6).
The survey indicated that alcohol consumption among men aged 15 years and above in Bihar stood at 16.5 percent during 2023-24, compared with 15.5 percent recorded during NFHS-5 conducted between 2019 and 2021.
The report also found that 0.4 percent of women reported alcohol consumption.
While the increase appears relatively modest, the findings have nevertheless sparked debate among policymakers, researchers, and public health experts regarding whether prohibition alone can eliminate alcohol consumption without stronger enforcement and social interventions.
The survey results have added a new layer to ongoing discussions about the future direction of Bihar’s prohibition policy.
No Official Response From DGP Yet
At the time the minister made his remarks, there was no public response from the office of the Bihar Director General of Police regarding the allegations.
Reports indicated that the DGP was unavailable for comment and had not responded to media queries concerning the minister’s statements.
As a result, the allegations remain one-sided for now, with no official rebuttal or clarification having been issued by the police leadership.
Prohibition Policy Faces Renewed Examination
The latest controversy has once again placed Bihar’s prohibition framework under intense public scrutiny.
From allegations of police-liquor mafia links and concerns about administrative coordination to questions raised by survey findings and recent enforcement controversies, the debate surrounding the state’s liquor ban appears far from settled.
With prohibition continuing to be one of Bihar’s most prominent social policies, the allegations made by Minister Madan Sahni are likely to generate significant political, administrative, and public discussion in the weeks ahead.
Whether these concerns lead to changes in enforcement strategies, greater inter-agency coordination, or a broader review of prohibition mechanisms remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Bihar’s decade-long experiment with total prohibition has once again become the subject of intense debate and renewed scrutiny.
