A team from the state excise department in North Dinajpur was attacked by a group of villagers, including illegal liquor sellers, on Raiganj's outskirts late on Wednesday evening.

Bricks rain on booze busters

Writes : KOUSIK SEN

In pic : An excise employee shows injury marks. (Kousik Sen)

Raiganj: A team from the state excise department in North Dinajpur was attacked by a group of villagers, including illegal liquor sellers, on Raiganj's outskirts late on Wednesday evening.

The team, led by Amita Lepcha, the district excise controller and comprising 11 others, including women constable, had gone to Bamui village to conduct raids on illegal liquor dens.

"We had information that some people are selling illicit country liquor at the village. As we reached the spot, the liquor sellers, along with a group of women, attacked us. All of us have were injured. They have even ransacked our vehicle," Lepcha said.

Department sources said the moment the team entered one of the liquor dens, they were attacked with bricks and sticks.

As the team members tried to save themselves, they found a large group of women chasing them.

"We soon got outnumbered. The women also attacked our women constablestime," said Partha Roy, a constable of the department.

Some in the police questioned the manner in which the raid was conducted. "It was irresponsible on the part of the excise team to go for such raids without policemen, that too, in a village and in the late evening, ," said a police officer.

Shyam Singh, superintendent of police, North Dinajpur, said they are trying to identify the attackers

- Telegraph