by Alok Mohit
Patna, Bihar, India: At least 26 people have died in ‘dry’ Bihar’s Saran district after suspected consumption of spurious liquor.
Police confirmed that five people died on Tuesday night while 21 others breathed their last during treatment on Wednesday.
The cause of death has not been ascertained so far by police and district authorities. “The cause of the death would be ascertained only after the post-mortem examination,” they said.
Local, however, said 50 people had consumed liquor in Masrakh and Ishuapur areas of the district. “Soon they complained of nausea and vision loss. The toll may go up as 20 more people are undergoing treatment at different hospitals of the district.
Police said 14 people had been arrested in connection with the incident, but refused to disclose their identity.
Among those who lost their lives in the suspected hooch tragedy are Vijendra Rai, Harendra Ram, Ramji Saha, Amit Ranjan, Sanjay Singh, Kunal Singh, Ajay Giri, Mukesh Sharma, Bharat Ram, Jaydev Singh, Manoj Ram, Mangal Rai, Nasir Hussain, Ramesh Ram, Chandra Ram, Vikki Mahto, Lallan Ram, Govind Rai, Premchand Shah and Dinesh Thakur.
NITISH LOSES COOL IN ASSEMBLY
The incident led to a political slugfest in the legislative assembly with the opposition BJP terming the liquor prohibition in Bihar a “complete failure”.
Raising the issue in the assembly, Leader of the opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said, “The hooch tragedy in Saran is nothing but a carnage under the government patronage.”
As the BJP members mounted attack on the state government over a spate of liquor deaths, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool and slammed the opposition MLAs who targeted the government. “Sharabi ho gaye ho tum (you all have become alcohol addicts),” a furious Nitish Kumar was heard screaming in a video.
Protesting over the incident, BJP MLAs also staged a demonstration outside the Bihar assembly, alleging that the “nexus” between police and illicit liquor traders were responsible for the deaths.
Despite a liquor ban in the state, incidents of deaths due to spurious liquor continue to haunt Bihar.
At least 11 persons had died after allegedly consuming alcohol
in Maker and Bheldi police station areas of Saran district on August 4 this year.
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.
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.
