Over 1000 litres of seized liquor kept in the storehouse of Bareilly’s Cantonment police station has disappeared and local policemen blame rats for guzzling it down. The latest incident came to light on Wednesday when the ‘malkhana’ (where seized items are stored) was opened to bring out the body of a stray dog which had sneaked into it a few days ago and died inside.
But when its doors were opened, it was also found that several gallons of country-made liquor seized from illegal manufacturing units had vanished into thin air. Staff then blamed the rodents.
Superintendent of police Abhinandan Singh said an inquiry into the incident would be conducted to ascertain whether the liquor was consumed by rats or something else had happened to it. Rats have also earlier been blamed for polishing off seized liquor in dry Bihar, narcotics in Jharkhand and currency notes in Assam. They were also held guilty of causing floods in Bihar.