By Alok Mohit
Patna, August 5: A day after suspected hooch tragedy in dry Bihar’s Saran district, the death toll reached 11 on Friday, officials said.
Police said 17 persons were battling for lives in hospitals. All the seriously ill people had also lost their vision, the police added.
The incident took place at two villages in Maker and Bheldi police station areas, about 55 km north of state capital Patna.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims, who belonged to Nonia Toli of Phulwaria panchayat in Maker police station and Sanho-Bhatha in Bheldi police station areas, had consumed spurious liquor, the police said.
Locals said the victims had purchased spurious liquor from Dhanuka Toli village in the district. Their condition deteriorated soon after they consumed the liquor at different places on Wednesday night, the villagers said.
Two people Kamal Mahto, 65 and Chandan Mahto, 30 were brought dead to Sadar Hospital at Chapra, headquarters of Saran district, while Sakaldeep Mahto died on way to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
Villagers said Om Nath Mahto, Chandeshwar Mahto, Dhaniram Mahto, Rajnath Mahto and four others died between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
About 17 seriously ill villagers have been admitted to different hospitals in Chapra, district headquarters of Saran, and Patna.
Soon after the information about the hooch tragedy spread in the region, the SHO and circle officers of Maker and Bheldi reached the houses of victims with forensic experts. They collected the samples and also recorded statements of the family members of the deceased and critically ill persons.
Saran Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar said senior officials were camping at villages and investigation into the incident had started.
Meanwhile, a liquor trader Vishwakarma Mahto and five others have been arrested in connection with the case.
Mithilesh Mahto, whose father-in-law died on way to PMCH, said liquor was readily available in the villages. “My father-in-law had consumed liquor. Several villagers too had consumed liquor and later developed health complications such as vomiting and loss of eyesight. My Father-in-law died while being taken to PMCH,” he told reporters.
Earlier, two people had died and four others took ill after suspected consumption of spurious liquor at Ramdaspur Jipura village in Panapur police station area of Saran district on August 2.
Despite a liquor ban in the state, incidents of deaths due to spurious liquor continue to haunt Bihar.
In January this year five people were killed after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Dumraon of Buxar district. During Holi celebrations in March this year, about 37 deaths due to suspected drinking of alcohol were recorded in three districts.
In May, at least six people died after taking spurious liquor in Gaya and Aurangabad districts. Taking suo motu cognizance of the hooch tragedies in Gaya and Aurangabad, the National Human Rights Commission had expressed concern over the “recurrence of such incidents despite complete ban on liquor in the state.”
The NHRC had observed that the contents of media reports on hooch tragedies, if true, amounted to human rights violation.
Bihar has been a dry state since 2016 and manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited.
