Thrissur: The staff at Consumerfed's premium liquor supermarket at Poothole here had a shocking experience after four men demanded liquor at gunpoint on Friday night. 

Manorama News reported that Thrisur West police arrested the four on Friday night itself. 

The accused have been identified as Abdul Niyas, Rafeeq, Nisar and Jaison from Kozhikode and Palakkad districts. 

Police suspect that the four men had planned to rob the liquor store. An investigation is being carried out to identify the purpose behind carrying the air gun.

The staff reported that the four men who are already drunk reached the store around 9 pm when the staff was preparing to leave. They forcefully opened the shutter and one of them barged into the store demanding liquor.

“As per the Abkari Act, billing should not be done after 9 pm in Consumerfed stores. Among the four, one entered the store and demanded liquor. Their ATM card was also inactive. When we refused to give liquor, one of them took a gun and threatened us,” explained the employee who was on duty at the store.

Police nabbed the four men from the nearest bar as per the complaint of the employees. 

Attack on liquor store staff is increasing in Kerala. On Friday, a man hurled a petrol bomb at a Bevco outlet in Kochi. The staff in liquor outlets expressed concern on their safety as such cases are reported day by day.