Patna, Jul 23 (IANS): Eleven kanwarias were arrested in a drunken state in Bihar's Jamui district on Saturday, officials said.

The devotees of Lord Shiva, travelling on two SUVs, were returning to their native places after offering water at Deoghar. They were intercepted during a vehicle checking campaign of Anti-Liquor Task Force (ALFT) at Mahesha Pather checkpost under Chakai police station in the district, and four liquor bottles were seized from them.

Chakai SHO and ALTF in charge Chandeshwar Prasad Yadav said: "We were deployed at Mahesha Pather check post for the vehicle checking. The team has intercepted two luxury vehicles having registration numbers BR30 PA 1637 and BR01 DJ 0662. When the officials asked those in it to step out from the car for checking, they smelled alcohol. During the breathing analysis test, they also found positive."

"During checking of the vehicles, the ALTF team also found 4 liquor bottles from their possession," he said.

The arrested kanwarias were identified as Kishan Kumar, Umesh Kumar Mahto, Ranjit Rao, Pankaj Gupta, Vishal Kumar Mahto, Ramu Mahto, all natives of Reega police station in Sitamarhi district while Gaurav Kumar, Shashi Bhushan Arya, Ranjit Kumar and Aman Kumar are the native of Parsa Bazar in Patna district.

"They have been booked under the Liquor Prohibition Act (Amendment) 2018 in Chakai police station and arrested," Yadav said.

Liquor has been banned in Bihar since April 2016.