Four die in Gopalganj ‘hooch’ tragedy

When district administration got information about four bodies being cremated on Saturday morning, district magistrate Dr Nawal Kishor Choudhary sent a team on the spot to enquired about the incident.

Four persons died in Bihar’s Gopalganj district and four others are undergoing treatment at a hospital after allegedly consuming spurious liquor on Friday night, police said.

In November last year, 21 people had died in a hooch tragedy at Mohammadpur of Gopalganj district. (HT)

The deceased have been identified as Devendra Sharma (31) and Ramesh Mahto (44), both residents of Basaha village, J K Yadav (25) of Sonwalia village and Rajeshwar Singh (75) of Ekderwa village falling under Baikunthpur police station.

Police sources said about eight people, including a ward member of Hamidpur panchayat, Rinku Yadav, consumed spurious liquor together on Friday evening. When they returned home, most of them fell ill and some started vomiting following which their family members brought them to hospital for treatment in Gopalganj. They complained of nausea, headache, vomiting and uneasiness. Rinku and three others are undergoing treatment at the district hospital.

Pramila Devi, wife of Ramesh, said her husband was a daily wage labourer and used to consume liquor. “I sent him to bring my medicine but he returned in an inebriated condition. He fell ill around 3 am and died on the bed,” she said.

Similarly, Ramchandra Sharma, father of Devendra, told reporters that his son, who worked as carpenter, had consumed liquor.

When district administration got information about four bodies being cremated on Saturday morning, district magistrate Dr Nawal Kishor Choudhary sent a team on the spot to enquired about the incident.

Talking to reporters, DM said he constituted a probe team, which visited the place affected families and recorded the statement of members.