Ambulance doubling as liquor van caught by ABVP activists

Patna,(BiharTimes): An ambulance meant to carry patients was caught red-handed with two crates and one suit-case of liquor not by police but by the activists of BJP’s students’ wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in Gaya on Thursday afternoon.

Incidentally, the Dial 102 ambulance belonged to the primary health centre (PHC), Belaganj and takes expectant mothers to hospital.

The ABVP activists later smashed the bottles and protested against the prevailing liquor culture in Nitish Kumar’s Bihar.

It all started in a dramtic manner. Around mid-noon Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members were staging a road blockade in front of Magadh divisional Commissioner R K Khandelwal’s office.
Since the Commissioner is doubling as VC of Magadh University they were protesting against his order banning admissions to vocational and professional courses running without the mandatory approval of the Chancellor.

As the siren of the ambulance was on it was given passage on humanitarian ground. But some among the activists spotted that there was no patient but some bottles of liquor. They immediately stopped the vehicle and seized it.

The driver, Ramendra Kumar, and emergency medical technician, Pramod Kumar, managed to escape from the ambulance.

Gaya senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ganesh Kumar and city superintendent of police (SP) Chandan Kushwaha rushed to the spot with a force and brought the situation under control. The SSP said that the source of the liquor supply would be traced and those involved in carrying it would be brought to book.

Reports said that the ambulance had left Belaganj PHC for Prabhavati Hospital around 9.30 in the morning on Thursday carrying a pregnant woman. After dropping her, the vehicle was scheduled to return to the PHC. As there was a wedding at Belaganj the driver and the other staff had picked up the bottles for the celebration.

According to Regional Deputy Director (Health) Rajendra Prasad the Dial 102 ambulance’s controlling authority is the State Health Society, Bihar. There are 24 Dial 102 ambulances. While 22 are attached to different PHCs one each belongs to Prabhavati Hospital and Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital.

Belaganj PHC in-charge Feroz Ahmad has lodged an FIR against the driver and the technician. The Dial 102 ambulances are run in the state by Dr Jain Video on Wheels Ltd. Its Magadh divisional manager, Sunil Kumar, said the driver and the technician would be terminated from service.

However, he said an FIR would be lodged against the ABVP activists for damaging the ambulance.