Bhubaneswar: Four persons were arrested on Monday for allegedly attacking a team of Excise department officials in an inebriated condition after a raid at a bar in Chandrasekharpur area of Bhubaneswar.
As per information, the incident took place near a bar when the excise team was returning after conducting a raid on Saturday night. Some youths in inebriated condition hurled liquor bottles at the excise vehicle and even poured alcohol on the officials, who were in uniform. The attackers allegedly abused the team members using obscene language.
Based on a complaint lodged at the local police station, four persons were taken into custody while a hunt is on for others involved in the incident.
Soon after the incident, PCR vans rushed to the spot and took several miscreants to the police station. It is yet to be ascertained whether the attackers were instigated by the bar operators or reacted out of anger after the bar was closed by the Excise team.
Undeterred by the attack, excise officials continued raids across other bars in the city the same night to verify compliance with the rules, including operating hours, licensing, customer safety, and fire safety norms.
As per official sources, around 155 bars, pubs, and clubs operate in the capital city with a permission to remain open till midnight.
