16 die in Bihar after consuming spurious liquor; 5 detained

Sixteen people died in Bihar’s West Champaran district after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, police said

Sixteen people died in Bihar’s West Champaran district after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, police said. Eight of these deaths were reported on Friday while eight others died since Wednesday.

16 die in Bihar after consuming spurious liquor; 5 detained

The police on Friday picked up at least five people, including two women, for interrogation in connection with hooch deaths. The sale and consumption of liquor is banned in Bihar since April 2016.

Kundan Kumar, district magistrate (West Champaran), said eight people died in three separate villages - Deurawa (4), Jogiya (3) and Bagahi (1) - over the past two-three days.

A press release issued by the West Champaran district administration late on Friday evening said eight other deaths were reported from the same area on Friday. “In the course of the investigation, the family members of four deceased accepted the death occurred owing to the consumption of spurious liquor. However, family members of four other deceased denied liquor consumption. They, however, did not furnish any medical documents about any ailments either,” the release stated.

Late Thursday evening, police registered a case in which two people, identified as Thug Sah and Suresh Sah, were made named as accused.

“Accused Thug Sah’s son, Sumit, has been arrested, while two local chowkidars have been suspended,” said a press release, issued by the district administration.

Bagahi superintendent of police Kiran Kumar Gorakh Jadhav, who is also currently in charge of Bettiah police, said, “Their interrogations are underway. We have also pressed a dog squad in the search operation and raids are being conducted. No seizure has been made as yet.”

The DM, however, said families of the eight denied they had consumed liquor. “One of those who died in Bagaha village was on dialysis, other at Deurawa village died following a heart attack,” he said while describing the other deaths as suspicious.

“Causes of other deaths could not be known immediately as the last rites on the bodies had been performed. The matter is being investigated further,” said the district magistrate. “We have deployed medical teams at Deurawa and Bagahi villages to facilitate treatment for anyone with any symptoms,” he said.

Top district and police officials visited Deurawa village on Thursday evening after the reports of deaths.

“We took statements of about 40 people, including the family members of those who died, but all of them denied consumption of liquor. However, one of the two persons undergoing treatment confessed to having been served liquor,” Lalan Mohan Prasad, deputy inspector general of police (DIG), Champaran range, said.

However, villagers at Deurawa said sale and consumption liquor was rampant in their village. “My brother fell sick after consuming liquor which is being openly sold despite prohibition,” said Bhola, cousin of Mumtaz Ansari who confessed to having consumed liquor before falling sick.

Meanwhile, the incident evoked a sharp reaction from opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). In a tweet, party supremo Lalu Prasad said, “In Bihar, thousands of people are dying every year from spurious liquor under good governance. Under the garb of prohibition, ruling party people are running a parallel illegal economy of ₹20,000 crores in Bihar. Lakhs of Dalits and poor are lodged in jails in the name of prohibition. Police have become corrupt and tyrannical.”

Birendra Gupta, CPI-ML (L) legislator from Sikta assembly constituency, termed the deaths as state-sponsored and demanded compensation of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased. He also accused the district administration of hushing up the matter. “The family members of the deceased are under pressure...they earlier accepted that the deaths occurred due to consumption of illicit liquor,” said Gupta, who visited the families of the deceased.