The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has apprehended four inter-district liquor smugglers, among them a 20-year-old woman, and confiscated six cellphones, two motorcycles, and 3.27 liters of illicit foreign liquor from their possession.
According to the RPF, the arrested individuals have been identified as Jahana Khatoon alias Khushboo from Vaishali district; Ankit Kumar and Ranjan Sharma from Jehanabad district; and Virendra Kumar alias Lalu from Saran district.
Details of the Incident
Railway DSP Kanchan Raj stated that the incident occurred on May 27 aboard train number 12336, traveling from Bhagalpur to Danapur. “After the train departed from Buxar, an RPF squad was carrying out checks for liquor smuggling. During the operation, a woman was apprehended, triggering a scuffle with her accomplices. The accused then pulled the emergency chain near Kushalpur halt and fled,” he said while addressing the media on Sunday. The incident took place in the Buxar section.
Investigation and Arrests
A case was registered at the Buxar railway police station against Khushboo and 14 unidentified persons. Following instructions from the railway superintendent of police, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe the case. The SIT conducted raids using technical surveillance and human intelligence. Jahana Khatoon was arrested first, and based on her interrogation, the other three accused were subsequently nabbed.
The DSP said Lalu has a prior excise case registered at Gardanibagh police station, while Ranjan has a similar case at Phulwarisharif police station. “Raids are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang. All four have been sent to judicial custody after interrogation,” Raj added.
Further Actions
The RPF continues its operations to dismantle the smuggling network, with further arrests expected. The seized items and the arrested individuals have been handed over to the local police for legal proceedings.
