Saran hooch tragedy: 5 including kingpin arrested

Police said the investigation started from Sanjay, a resident of Doila village under Ishuapur police station, who consumed liquor and is undergoing treatment in the hospital

Five persons, including the prime accused in the hooch tragedy that claimed over 70 lives in Masrakh sub-division in Bihar’s Saran were arrested on Friday, police said.

The hooch tragedy claimed over 70 lives in Masrakh sub-division in Bihar’s Saran. (Representative Image)

The alleged kingpin Rajesh Singh alias Doctor, and others identified as Sonu Giri, Shailendra Rai, Sanjay Mahto and Arjun Mahto were involved in the incident and their role in making and supplying liquor has been confirmed, police added. 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. Police said that Sanjay is the person who also consumes illicit liquor and distributed it among the victims.

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

In the course of investigation, police found that Rajesh, earlier working as a compounder in Haryana, learnt to make liquor and mixing it with spirit and chemicals. He brought the consignments via transport on fake names, manufactured liquor and supplied it in Masrakh, Marhaura, Amanur, Ishuapur and adjoining police station areas. Police said that 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.

They used their Bolero (bearing registration number UP53AA/5335) for trade. Police raided the place on the inputs from Sanjay and seized homeopathy medicines, chemicals, empty bottles, medicine cartoons and mixed chemicals. Following his revelation, police arrested four persons and interrogated them thoroughly.

“Rajesh said that on the intervening night of December 13 and 14, he got information that many people died and more persons were undergoing treatment in different hospitals after consuming liquor. He immediately contacted that person, who is one of the suppliers (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 the illicit liquor at Bhagwanpur Haat police station in Siwan where many persons got ill,” said the Saran SP.

The illicit liquor transported in the Bolero from Masrakh to Siwan was also seized by the Siwan police 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 among the locals through the spirit mafia’s chain.

Police said that Rajesh and Shailendra have criminal history and both of them are facing three criminal cases each. Police will send the seized materials to FSL for lab test. The SP claimed that he had sufficient technical and solid evidence against the accused. More persons are under the radar and they would be nabbed soon.

The Saran police had suspended two station house officers (SHOs), two chowkidar 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 were arrested earlier in this connection. Two separate teams of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) continued to investigate facts pertaining to the tragic hooch deaths. They met more than two dozen persons at their villages for about two days to ascertain the reasons behind occurrence of the hooch incident, role of police and excise department employees and responsibility of government doctors. They listened to all public representatives and assured them for appropriate action in the matter

The SP told HT that police seized 450 ML empty bottles of Aconitum Napellus, Saccharum Lactis, Anatherum Mur dilution of Lords Company. Post prohibition, in Bihar, only 30 -100ML homeopathy bottles are allowed for marketing, the SP added