Five, including prime accused, held in Saran hooch tragedy

Police said that the main accused Rajesh Singh, is the man who supplied homeopathy medicines and chemicals to prepare illicit liquor.

PATNA: Five people, including the prime accused in the Saran hooch tragedy that claimed over 70 lives in the Masrakh sub-division in the district, were arrested on Friday, police said.

The five accused in police custody on Friday. (HT Photo)

According to police, the prime accused has been identified as Rajesh Singh alias Doctor, while the others have been identified as Sonu Giri, Shailendra Rai, Sanjay Mahto, and Arjun Mahto.

Police said that Rajesh Singh, a native of Jalalpur, is the man who supplied homeopathy medicines and chemicals to prepare illicit liquor, while Shailendra is a notorious spirit supplier, and Sanjay consumes as well as distributes illicit liquor.

“The investigation began from Sanjay, a resident of Doila village under Ishuapur police station. He consumed liquor and is undergoing treatment at a hospital,” said Saran SP Santosh Kumar, adding that police will interrogate him when he is discharged from the hospital.

In the course of the investigation, police found that Rajesh, who earlier worked as a compounder in Haryana, learned how to mix spirit and chemicals to manufacture liquor. He brought the consignments on fake names, manufactured liquor, and supplied it in Masrakh, Marhaura, Amanur, Ishuapur, and adjoining police stations areas. “During interrogation, Sanjay Mahto also revealed that Rajesh with the help of Sonu and Shailendra brought chemicals and medicines from Uttar Pradesh, manufactured illicit liquor, and distributed it among the local traders,” police said, adding that they used their Bolero car for trade.

Police said that they raided the place based on the inputs given by Sanjay and seized homeopathy medicines, chemicals, empty bottles, medicine cartons, and mixed chemicals. “Following his revelation, four more people were arrested and interrogated,” police said.

“Rajesh said that on the intervening night of December 13 and 14, he got information that several people died and many were undergoing treatment in different hospitals after consuming liquor. He immediately contacted one of the suppliers (the police did not disclose his name), and his mobile phone was found switched off. He along with his family members fled from home and supplied illicit liquor at Bhagwanpur Haat police station in Siwan where many persons fell ill,” said Saran SP.

“The illicit liquor transported in the Bolero from Masrakh to Siwan was also seized after the incident. Preliminary investigation suggested that Rajesh used sugar liquid with homeopathy medicine, spirit, chemicals, and prepared liquor. Later, they kept it in different bottles using IMFL wrappers and supplied it among the locals through the mafia,” the SP said, adding that the seized materials will be sent to FSL for testing.

The SP claimed that he has sufficient technical and solid evidence against the accused. “More persons are under the radar and would be nabbed soon,” he said.

The Saran police had suspended two SHOs, two chokidar, and a dafadar of Isuapur and Masrakh police stations on the charges of liquor smuggling/selling under their jurisdiction besides dereliction of duty following the hooch tragedy. Nine persons had been arrested earlier in this connection.

Meanwhile, two separate NHRC teams continued to probe the hooch deaths. They met more than two dozen persons in their villages for about two days to ascertain the reasons behind the occurrence of the incident, the role of police and excise department employees, and the responsibility of government doctors. They listened to all public representatives and assured them of appropriate action on the matter