Tikamgarh, Jan 11 A planned raid by the Excise Police Team in Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district turned violent when members of the liquor mafia attacked the officials.
The incident occurred in Birau village under the jurisdiction of Digaura Police Station, leaving four team members, including Sub-Inspector (SI) Vijay Singh, injured late on Friday evening.
The attackers, led by liquor mafia kingpin Santosh Yadav and his family, reportedly threw stones at the team and assaulted them with sticks. In the scuffle, Santosh Yadav allegedly snatched the service revolver of SI Vijay Singh. The injured officials were admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
According to police officials, the raid followed a covert operation where an excise constable, disguised in civilian attire, purchased a quarter of country liquor from the targeted premises.
Upon confirming illegal activity, the team conducted a raid and found a woman selling liquor. When the woman was asked to summon her husband, Santosh Yadav, he arrived with accomplices and launched a violent attack on the team.
SI Vijay Singh recounted, "Santosh Yadav, his two sons, wife, father, and two others attacked us. They pelted stones and beat us with sticks. Santosh Yadav then snatched my service revolver. We had to flee to save our lives and informed Digaura Police Station."
The injured team members include Excise Constables Prahlad Prajapati, Virendra Vishwakarma, and Mahendra Rai.
Following the incident, the police have turned Birau village into a virtual fortress to apprehend the accused. However, Santosh Yadav and his associates remain at large.
The excise officials confirmed the assault and said, "Our team had gone to Birau village to crack down on illegal liquor. The liquor sellers attacked them. Reinforcements from Digaura Police Station were deployed immediately after receiving information about the attack."
The police have launched a manhunt to recover the snatched service revolver and arrest the accused. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of enforcement officials tackling the rampant illegal liquor trade in the region.
Further investigations are underway.
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