On Friday, the Crime Branch of the state police raided the area and arrested 11 persons for illegal possession and sale of country-made liquor. They also recovered around 100 bottles of liquor from their possession.

Confirming the suspension of the two officers, Senior Superintendent of Police S S Srivastava said: “They were guilty of dereliction of duty. Since the sale of liquor was rampant in their beat area, their role needs to be probed. An inquiry has been marked to gauge the extent of their involvement in the illegal trade.”

“We had been receiving regular complaints from the area. With the permission of senior officers, a team of police personnel, in disguise, was sent into the colony to nab the culprits,” said an officer with the Crime Branch.

The officer added: “How is it possible for the culprits to run the business in the open without the knowledge of the beat officers? The officers were involved in the business and this was confirmed by the locals as well.”

Station House Officer Inspector, Sector-34 police station, Sudershan Thakur said: “I never received any information about the illegal trade. Had I been aware of it, I would have taken action against them.”