Hooch deaths: 823 arrested in 48 hours

Among the arrested persons is a newly elected ward member Amit Kumar, who allegedly organised a liquor party in Muzaffarpur.

In a major crackdown in the wake of the hooch tragedies that have left 41 people dead in Bihar since Diwali, 823 people have been arrested in the last 48 hours in raids at more than 1,300 locations in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj, West Champaran and East Champaran districts, police said.

Police have conducted raids at more than 1,300 locations in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj, West Champaran and East Champaran districts. (Ht File)

In Muzaffarpur, police have arrested 400 people, including five candidates of panchayat samiti, and busted three rebottling units. “We have registered 150 FIRs (first information report) with the 40 police stations and nabbed 400 people involved in making and supplying spurious liquor,” Muzaffarpur’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jayant Kant said.

On October 29, six people had died while some others fell ill after consuming suspected spurious liquor at Rupauli village under Saraiya police station of Muzaffarpur. Among the four people arrested in this connection is a newly elected ward member Amit Kumar, who allegedly organised the liquor party.

Int the second incident, a liquor party organised in the house of a mukhia candidate ended up claiming six lives. The incident occurred at Manipur-Narottam panchayat under Kanti police station ahead of panchayat election scheduled for November 15.

In Gopalganj district, where 13 people died in a hooch tragedy in Mohmmedpur police station area, police have arrested 275 people and registered 105 FIRs, besides seizing 34 vehicles. “After the incident, several raids were conducted and 11 people involved in hooch tragedy have been arrested,” said Gopalganj SP Anand Kumar.

In Samastipur, where at least seven people, including a BSF jawan and an army jawan died, the police have arrested 65 people and lodged 32 FIRs so far.

In East Champaran, police have lodged 83 FIRs after the arrest of 92 people and recovered 11,000 litres of liquor including 8,000 litres of spirit, said SP Navin Chandra Jha.

West Champaran SP Upendra Nath Verma said police have carried out raids at 493 locations and nabbed 161 people in the district where 14 people have died of suspected hooch consumption in November so far.

Change in modus operandi

Police sources said those involved in making illicit liquor have begun mixing sedative tablets with spirits, a reason why it is leading to poisoning and other health problems.

Another new worry, say police sources, is mushrooming of localised spurious liquor units since smuggling IMFL (Indian made foreign liquor) bottles from states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Nepal has become increasingly difficult.

As per latest police records, 6,852 smugglers from Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal have been arrested in last five years since Prohibition was enforced in Bihar in April 2016.

Political crossfire

Leader of Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, described the recent hooch tragedies as “organised killings” and asked if it was not true that liquor was being supplied through police stations. “What is the result of thousands of meetings to review the impact of prohibition when this is the ground reality? Under whose patronage the liquor mafia is getting by so emboldened,” he asked through his tweet.

Congress MLC and spokesman Premchandra Mishra, too, has been questioning the policy. “It is no more time to review prohibition. Time has come to have a rethink on it, as so many deaths have amply proved that checking smuggling is not this government’s cup of tea. People’s life is precious,” he said.

However, chief minister Nitish Kumar has maintained that Prohibition in the state was imposed after the unanimous decision of the state legislature and that all should work to make it successful.

After the latest hooch tragedies, the chief minister had said he would hold a review meeting on November 16 .

Major hooch tragedies in Bihar

Aug 15, 2016: 19 people had die in Gopalganj, 21 policemen, including an SHO, dismissed from the job. In March 5 this year, a district court awarded death penalty to nine people and life sentences to four women in the case.

March 31, 2021: In Nawada, 16 people, including a teenager, die after Holi. Police arrest 20 people, including two women. Five officials, including an SHO and an excise sub-inspector, suspended.

July 2021: 16 people die in Lauriya and Ramnagar police stations areas of West Champaran.

November 2012: In West Champaran, 14 people die under Nautan police station limits.