Indian police claim rats drank 1,000 litres of liquor seized from outlaws

Expert says rats cannot consume alcohol in such a large quantity as being stated by the authorities

Indian police have claimed that 1,000 litres of liquor kept in their storehouse in Bihar has disappeared, blaming rats for guzzling it down, The Hindustan Times reported.

Authorities have previously pointed the finger at the rodent for polishing off seized liquor in dry Bihar, narcotics in Jharkhand and currency notes in Assam. They were also held guilty of causing floods in Bihar.

The latest incident was brought to light when the store was opened to bring out the body of a stray dog which had sneaked into it a few days ago and died inside.

However, when its doors were opened, it was also found that several gallons of  local liquor seized from illegal manufacturing units had vanished into thin air. Staff then blamed the rodents.



Police say an inquiry into the incident would be carried out to determine whether the liquor was consumed by rats or something else had happened to it.

“Cantt police station head muharrir [clerk], Naresh Pal, who was posted recently, opened the door of the malkhana and found some liquor cans empty. He also saw rats near the seized liquor cans,” he said.

He said that seized liquor should be destroyed after a sample is kept for legal purpose. “I have written to senior officials several times regarding this, but no response has come yet,” he added.

Meanwhile, a retired zoology professor of Bareilly College, who did not want to be named, said that rats could consume liquor alternatively if they stayed at a place where water was not available.

“But the quantity of liquor which the police claimed that rats had consumed is unbelievable. They cannot drink 1,000 litres of alcohol as rats have a strong dislike to a high concentration of liquor,” he said, adding it might be a simple case of theft.

The article originally appeared in The Hindustan Times