A probe has been initiated into a claim by a police station that rats were behind the disappearance of a large number of seized cartons of illicit liquor from a strongroom.

A senior police officer has said over 1,400 cartons of liquor have been reported missing from the Kotwali Dehat police station here and a case has been registered against station house officer Indreshpal Singh and clerk Rishal Singh.

However, a general diary at the police station mentions that 239 cartons have been damaged by rats. The senior police officer said thisseems to be fishy and unacceptable.

Superintendent of police of Etah Udai Shankar Singh on Sunday confirmed the development and said that a probe was on. He, however, refused to elaborate further.

A case has been registered against Indreshpal Singh and Rishal Singh. Both of them had not turned up to provide an explanation for the incident despite summons issued in their names, he said.