VARANASI: A joint team of crime branch and Sarnath police on Saturday busted an interstate gang of liquor smugglers by nabbing four miscreants and seized 3,984 bottles of Indian made foreign liquor ( IMFL ) from them in Chandra crossing area.The liquor was procured from Indore in Madhya Pradesh and as being smuggled to Bihar."Acting on a tip off, a joint team of crime branch and Sarnath police raided Rangil Das ka Pokhra near Chandra crossing. On seeing the police members of the gang, who were loading 3,984 bottles packed in 83 boxes in a car, opened fire at the raiding team and tried to escape. However, police succeeded in nabbing four members of the gang and seized the consignment," SSP RK Bhardwaj told TOI.The arrested persons were identified as Kushagra Pandey, Shivprakash, Ravi Ranjan Pandey of Varanasi and Sonu Yadav of Buxar in Bihar.Apart from liquor, police also recovered a pistol and car from their possession.During interrogation they divulged that they started smuggling liquor to Bihar after it was banned in that state. They used to procure liquor from MP and after taking it to Handia area in Allahabad in trucks, they smuggled it in small consignments to Bihar in cars or pick-up vans.Double murder accused nabbed: Sarnath police on Saturday arrested an accused, Raju Dharkar, in food article vendor Basanta Yadav and his son Rajesh Yadav murder case. He was arrested from Benipur area. Two accused - Niraj Rawat and Ashish Rajbhar - were arrested on May 12. The father and son duo was shot dead on the night of May 3.

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