Nitish Kumar party leader Sitaram Prasad arrested for involvement in drinking spree, deported

During the raid, officers seized 292 liters of foreign liquor and 14 mobile phones (representative)

Naland (Bihar):

At least 14 people, including Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader Sitaram Prasad, have been arrested by the Bihar police on suspicion of their involvement in a drinking and gambling party in Nalanda district.

Samrat Deepak, Bihar police chief, said the arrests were made on Wednesday night based on information received about the flourishing gambling and illicit liquor trade in Amber district.

During the raids carried out by the police, 292 liters of foreign liquor, 10 decks of cards, nine motorcycles and 14 mobile phones were seized.

The JDU responded to the incident and expelled Mr Prasad, the party’s Asthawan block president, from the party and removed him from all his positions.

“According to information, JDU leader Sitaram Prasad is involved in a liquor case. This incident has tarnished the image of the party. Therefore, Asthawan block president Sitaram Prasad is being removed from all posts and expelled from the party,” the party said in a press release.

Meanwhile, the episode also caused a stir in political circles.

Bihar Chief Minister in-charge of JDU’s Nalanda district Vijay Chaudhary said the arrests show the credibility of the Bihar government and anyone involved in illegal activities, even within the party, should be brought to book.

RJD MP Rakesh Roshan from Islampur, on the other hand, criticised the state government, saying that a ‘liquor mafia’ is being created under the aegis of the government.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published via a syndicated feed.)