15 policemen suspended after hooch protests

The Delhi Police on Tuesday suspended 15 policemen, including a station house officer (SHO), for the hooch tragedy in Raghubir Nagar, west Delhi. Two more persons died in New Delhi on Tuesday, taking the toll to 18.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday suspended 15 policemen, including a station house officer (SHO), for the hooch tragedy in Raghubir Nagar, west Delhi. Two more persons died in New Delhi on Tuesday, taking the toll to 18.

HT Image

In the last one week, sixteen people died after consuming spurious liquor. Police detained three more persons from Sansi community who were allegedly involved in selling the spurious liquor on Tuesday.

The SHO of Khayala police station was suspended on Tuesday. “We also suspended seven policemen from Rajouri Nagar police station and seven from Khayala police station. We are investigating the case,” said Sharad Agarwal, DCP (west).

Two more deaths were reported from the area on Tuesday.

On Monday, people took to roads and burnt effigies of policemen after 16 people died because of consuming spurious liquor in the city.

Meanwhile, Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday reviewed the situation and stressed upon the need of a coordinated action plan to avoid re-occurrence of such incidents in future. “We have decided to keep round the clock vigil over inter-state movement of liquor,” said Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta.

Mehta said the city government would again approach the Centre requesting for its consent to the new Delhi Excise Bill 2008, which would replace the Punjab Excise Act, 1914. “The new Bill would have stringent penalties and provision including imprisonment, which would go a long way in curbing such incidents,” he said.