The Bihar government has imposed a total prohibition in April 2016. The scam came up after the media reported that bottles of alcohol that had been seized went missing from the police's own storages.
The Press Trust of India reported: "During a recent meeting of the state police, it was said that some of the seized bottles had been destroyed, and what was left was finished off <…> by liquor-loving rats."
After media raised the issue, an inquiry was launched into the matter. Two police personnel were suspended for consuming liquor.
"We have asked the Patna zonal inspector general to inquire into the matter. Based on his findings, the state police headquarters will initiate further action," PTI quoted Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) S K Singha as saying.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed the ban on alcohol last April as part of his election promise to tackle alcoholism and to woo female voters. The government has cited a decrease in crime rates and road accidents as the fruits of prohibition.
Many activists and individuals have moved court challenging the Nitish government's decision to impose a blanket ban on the consumption of alcohol and its effectiveness in tackling the menace, but the lower courts have backed the state government.
Nitish was even lauded by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early January for his efforts and prohibition. Modi's own home state of Gujarat practices prohibition from many decades due to the influence of Mahatma Gandhi.
