Five police personnel, including two Sub-Inspectors, have been placed under suspension with immediate effect for allegedly failing to take prompt and appropriate action against the accused in a liquor smuggling case.The suspended personnel have been sent to the Police Lines, while a regular departmental inquiry has been initiated against all of them.A police official said a team of the Jhajjar CIA intercepted a canter during a checking operation on the Beri-Jahajgarh Road in July. A total of 454 cartons of illegal Indian-made foreign liquor and beer, valued at around Rs 31 lakh, had been concealed in the canter under the guise of animal feed. Grease had been applied to the canter’s number plate to conceal its actual registration number and mislead the police.Preliminary investigation revealed that most of the cartons did not carry QR codes, while labels on several others had been torn, strengthening the suspicion that the consignment was meant for illegal distribution. The liquor had been brought from Chandigarh.The police team arrested two accused from the spot and initiated efforts to nab other key accused in the case. “The cops reportedly delayed the arrest of other accused in the case,” the official said.Confirming the action, Jhajjar Commissioner of Police Simardeep Singh said all the suspended personnel were posted with the CIA staff in Jhajjar.“The preliminary probe into the case revealed that the cops did not arrest the main contractors from Chandigarh in connection with two liquor smuggling cases. Although they raided their premises, they did not arrest them in the cases. It is suspected that they may have acted to gain undue benefit,” Singh said, adding that further inquiry into the matter was under way.