Patna, Apr 24 (The Hindu): Rahul Kumar Manjhi, the son of a BJP MP from Gaya, has been arrested and sent to jail for consuming liquor in the dry State.

While BJP MP Hari Manjhi cried “conspiracy by the local police”, ruling alliance party Janata Dal (United) leaders said “there was rule of law in the State”. The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal asked why only Scheduled Caste and poor people were being “targeted and arrested” under the new stringent liquor law.

The police said Rahul Kumar was arrested after he was caught consuming liquor along with his friends at Nama village under the Gaya Medical College police station on Sunday. Two of his friends too have been arrested and sent to jail.

“He was taken for a medical test and was found to have consumed liquor… we arrested him under the new excise and prohibition law and produced him in a local court today, which later sent him to the Gaya Central Jail,” Inspector Lal Bihari Paswan told journalists.

Earlier on December 13, 2016, too Rahul Kumar, 18, was caught in an inebriated condition at the Gaya Medical College gate and the police had lodged a case against him.

However, Mr. Manjhi accused the police of hatching a conspiracy to falsely implicate his son. “Earlier, I had informed the Deputy Inspector General of Police of Magadh Range about the illegal liquor trade going on in and around Nama village in nexus with the local police. The local police, instead of acting on my information, falsely implicated my son,” alleged Mr. Manjhi.

But, JD(U) leaders maintained there was rule of law in the State and it was one and equal for everyone. “The rule of law does not discriminate on power and position in the Nitish Kumar government…whoever is caught consuming liquor in the State, the law will take its own course irrespective of his caste, creed or position,” said JD(U) leader and party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.

But the Opposition RJD leaders took on the government and asked why only Scheduled Caste and poor people were being targeted. “Over 90% of those being arrested and sent to jail under the new liquor law are either from the Scheduled Castes or poor people. Does it mean that only Dalits and poor people are consuming liquor in Bihar illegally?” said senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari.

‘No fear of the law’

Party MLA and spokesperson Bhai Birendra said: “The arrests of people and seizure of liquor bottles every day in the State shows that people are consuming liquor without any fear of the prohibition law.”

Recently, a local BJP leader from Sitamarhi had mowed down nine schoolchildren allegedly under the influence of liquor.