Case filed after UP cops blame rats for missing liquor cartons

An inquiry was launched into a claim by officials of a local police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district that blamed rats for the disappearance of a large number of seized cartons of illicit liquor from a strongroom.

As per a senior police officer, more than 1,400 cartons of liquor have gone missing from the Kotwali Dehat police station in Etah and a case has been registered against Station House Officer Indreshpal Singh and clerk Rishal Singh.

However, a general diary at the police station mentions that 239 cartons have been damaged by rats, which the senior police officer said seems to be fishy and unacceptable.

Superintendent of Police, Etah, Udai Shankar Singh on Sunday confirmed the development and said that a probe is on in this regard. He, however, refused to elaborate further.

“A week ago, it came to light that around 1,450 cartons of illicit liquor seized are missing from Kotwali Dehatpolice station,” PTI quoted a senior police official of the district as saying. When asked whether some cartons have been damaged by rats, the police officer said: “The general diary of the police does mention that 239 cartons were damaged by rodents. However, this is not acceptable, and it seems that the matter is fishy. It has been probably done to cover the goof-up.”

A case has been registered against SHO Indreshpal Singh and clerk Rishal Singh. Both of them had not turned up to provide an explanation for the incident despite summons issued in their names, PTI quoted him as saying.