The enforcement of prohibition rules by the state police will now mean more than just arresting the accused found in an inebriated state and seizing liquor consignments. A recent order issued by state police chief S S Khandwawala has made it mandatory for the investigating cops to also track down the original source of liquor and make necessary arrests and seizures from that place in order to complete the investigations in the prohibition cases they register.

In an order issued to all city police commissioners, range heads, district heads and other senior police officers in the state on Thursday, Khandwawala maintained that the provisions of CrPC apply to all criminal laws including the state’s Prohibition Act.

“In case of arrest of people found in an inebriated state or liquor seizures, the investigating officers will have to track down the place where the person consumed liquor and also the original source of the liquor, and make necessary arrests under sections 83 (conspiracy) and 81 (abetment) of the Prohibition Act. It will be considered a serious misconduct on the part of the investigating officer, if he fails to follow the procedure,” the order states.

The order, a copy of which is with Newsline, further states that provisions of CrPC are as much applicable on cases booked under Prohibition Act, as they do on offences booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“Like in cases of offences booked under IPC, the investigating officer in cases of prohibition are free to conduct raids, seizures and arrests from areas that may fall outside their administrative jurisdiction,” the order states.

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