Key accused among 4 arrested in Saran hooch tragedy

According to police, those arrested have been identified as key accused Ramanand Manjhi, Dharmendra Rai, Mohan Rai, and Prakash Singh.

PATNA: Four people, including the key accused, were arrested on Thursday from different locations in Bihar for their involvement in the Saran hooch tragedy earlier in August that claimed 12 lives in the Bhatha-Nona Toli locality in Chhapra , police said.

Twelve people had died in the Saran hooch tragedy. (HT Photo)

According to police, those arrested have been identified as key accused Ramanand Manjhi, Dharmendra Rai, Mohan Rai, and Prakash Singh.

Police also said that the station house officer (SHO) of Maker police station and a chowkidar were suspended on August 9 on the charges of smuggling and liquor under their jurisdiction, and for dereliction of duty following the tragedy.

“Ramanand was the man who supplied liquor to villagers on Nag Panchami held on August 2. While Dharmendra was involved in the spurious liquor trade, the other two are dealers and supplied liquor to the other two accused. They are being interrogated,” said Santosh Kumar, Saran superintendent of police (SP).

The SP said that an FIR (first information report) was lodged against named and unknown persons with the Maker police station on the basis of the statement of Amarjit Kumar Mahoto, whose father died in the alleged hooch tragedy.

On August 10, police had arrested five associates of Ramanand and had seized 96 litres of liquor from their possession.