Four UP Cops Suspended After Viral Video Shows Collusion With Liquor Smugglers in Ballia

In a major crackdown against alleged police nexus with liquor smugglers, four police personnel, including the Gopal Nagar outpost in-charge, have been suspended in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh. The action follows viral screenshots and videos surfacing on social media Tuesday night, showing the outpost in-charge demanding money from illegal liquor traffickers to facilitate their operations in the Revati area along the UP-Bihar border.

Superintendent of Police Omvir Singh confirmed that a preliminary inquiry conducted by Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammad Faheem Qureshi found prima facie evidence of collusion. Based on these findings, Outpost In-charge Shubhendra Singh and Constables Afzar Ali, Vikas Kannaujia, and Pawan Verma were immediately suspended. Additional SP (South) Kripa Shankar is now probing the role of the Station House Officer to ascertain any supervisory lapses or complicity.

Ballia’s border areas of Bairia, Revati, and Dokati have become notorious transit corridors for liquor smuggling following Bihar’s strict prohibition laws, creating a lucrative cross-border black market. A recent media sting operation exposing these illicit activities resulted in reprisals against investigative journalist Shubham Srivastava, who was attacked by smugglers, intensifying demands for stronger policing and enforcement.

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Local residents and officials say this incident has again highlighted the troubling nexus between some police personnel and smuggling networks. The district administration faces mounting pressure to curb smuggling and restore law and order in this sensitive border region. SP Omvir Singh pledged that the inquiry will continue rigorously and "strict action will be taken against all those found involved," signaling zero tolerance for corruption in uniform.

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