Reference was made to a Supreme Court order, by which a Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh directed the State government to collect the number of prosecutions under the Act and cases pending in different courts under the Excise Act. The apex court had noted in that order,
“The Bench also asked the State to focus more on preventive steps to stop sale and consumption of liquor in the State. It said that in most of the cases it is the State officers who facilitate the illegal activities which happen under their nose but is the poor people who are caught and put behind bars…”
One of the reports submitted by the State revealed that 3,48,170 cases were lodged and 4,01,855 arrests were made under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act until October last year, with officials admitting that jails were overcrowded on account of people arrested under the Act.
Source: Barandbench
