Liquor smuggling clash: Why did police open fire leading to death in Saptari?

A 35-year-old man named Lalu Yadav was killed in Saptari on Tuesday night after being shot by police during an operation to stop liquor smuggling near the Nepal–India border.

The incident took place in Kamalpur, Ward 2 of Rajgadh Rural Municipality. According to District Police Office spokesperson DSP Jitendra Basnet, police had received information about alcohol being smuggled from Nepal to India. When the police reached the area, a clash broke out. During efforts to control the situation, police fired shots into the air, and one of the bullets struck Lalu. He died while being taken to the Gajendra Narayan Singh Sagarmatha Hospital.

After his death, locals and his relatives protested in large numbers on Wednesday.

Family denies police claim

Lalu’s family has denied the police’s claim that he was hit during an anti-smuggling operation. Ward Chair Jitendra Kumar Yadav of Rajgadh-2 said the police opened fire unnecessarily, calling it a case of police negligence. He also accused the local police of allowing illegal alcohol production and sales under their protection.

The operation on Tuesday night was carried out by a district police team without informing the local police, raising suspicion about their role. The team was led by Inspector Birendra Kumar Yadav and had 10 members.

Dispute led to shooting

The clash reportedly began after the team tried to seize smuggled liquor. Lalu was shot during the argument. His family claims the police killed him during a minor dispute.

Police, however, said they acted in self-defense after being attacked. DSP Basnet stated that four rounds were fired in the air, and one hit Lalu in the thigh, causing his death. CDO Bhola Dahal also supported the police’s claim, saying they were attacked by a group carrying local weapons.

Police said two officers were also injured, but they haven’t released any details. Lalu reportedly died due to heavy bleeding before reaching the hospital, which was about 12–15 km away.

Authorities claim they seized 80 cartons of liquor during the operation.

Demands for justice

Ward Chair Jitendra submitted a memorandum to the Chief District Officer demanding the suspension of the involved inspector and compensation for the victim’s family. He blamed the police for acting like “heroes” and causing a needless death.

A former AIG of Nepal Police commented that using firearms during anti-liquor operations and resulting in death shows serious flaws in police action. He said liquor-related issues are not new in the Tarai region but using deadly force in minor disputes is a failure.

Pattern of deadly liquor smuggling incidents

This is not the first case. In the past three years, three people have died in liquor-related clashes in the region:

• In Siraha last year, an Armed Police Force sub-inspector died after being hit by a vehicle driven by liquor smugglers.
• Three years ago, an Indian SSB officer died when a liquor-loaded jeep from Nepal ran him over while trying to stop it at the border.

Ongoing cross-border concerns

Liquor smuggling and drug trafficking across the Nepal-India border have become serious issues. After alcohol was banned in India’s Bihar state, illegal liquor smuggling from Nepal has increased. India has repeatedly raised concerns in bilateral meetings, asking Nepal to control production and supply of local alcohol in border areas.

High-level meetings between SSB and Nepal’s Armed Police are held every year to discuss border security. In recent talks held in Kathmandu, India again pushed Nepal to curb alcohol production in border districts.

While liquor moves from Nepal to India, narcotics continue to be smuggled the other way. Security experts say both issues are closely linked and remain a major challenge for both countries.