Wife to Be Jailed If Husband Is Caught Drinking, Says Bihar Government

Last year, Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar declared that alcohol would be banned in Bihar from April 1, 2016. Country-made liquor was also banned by the state assembly, and capital punishment was announced for those who manufacture or trade in illicit liquor if people died after consuming it.

But for Nitish Kumar, this was not enough. His government introduced the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill, 2016 on July 30, which may seem innocent enough to you, but wait till you see what the regulations are.

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The bill states that if a woman's husband is caught consuming alcohol without her knowledge, she will be prosecuted by the state. It also says that adult member of a household will be arrested if any member of the house is found possessing or consuming alcohol at his residence. The bill also reportedly states that an entire village will have a collective fine imposed on them if habitual offenders are discovered there.

We're not sure why the wife, or even other family members, have to be prosecuted if it is the husband who's been caught drinking. It almost feels like Kumar and his government refuse to treat their voters as adults, and need other adults to babysit or supervise them.

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Obviously, these new provisions have invited a great deal of criticism from the Opposition, with BJP leader Sushil Kumar saying, “This new bill has several controversial provisions. We would pressure the government to make amendments in it.”

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