Patna, Nov 9 (IANS): A sub-inspector in Bihar's Khagaria district was arrested after he was found in a drunken state during duty hours, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, Arun Kumar Jha, was immediately arrested by senior police officials and sent to jail after a medical examination in Sadar hospital, District Superintendent of Police (SP) Amitesh Kumar said.

The incident comes at a time when the Bihar government is under pressure due to a series of hooch incidents in Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Bettiah and Samastipur that claimed the lives of more than 50 people and over three dozen others lost their eyesight in the last 13 days.

"We have learnt that a sub-inspector rank officer posted at Gogri police station, was performing duty in a drunken state on Tuesday. When the fellow officers of Gogri police station complained to us, we immediately sent a DSP rank officer to check the status. The alleged official was found drunk during duty hours. We arrested him and conducted his medical examination. The doctors of Sadar hospital confirmed that he was under inebriation of alcohol," Amitesh Kumar said.

The officer further said that the violation of liquor prohibition law by any person cannot be tolerated in the district.

On Monday, two watchmen from Patna were arrested for being in a drunken state while on duty.